1
as in smelly
having an unpleasant smell
came home from their trip to find stinking garbage that had been left in the kitchen
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drunk
slang
being under the influence of alcohol
warned her husband not to come home stinking—or he'd be sleeping on the couch
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in damn
to a great degree
a huge, showy house that screams, "We're stinking rich!"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stinking
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Their solution to a stinking run was, comically, to rely on less than 23 per cent of possession and pick Madrid off with a classy volley from Martin Satriano, below.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2019
Muttaiah said the man inside the stinking manhole was working without any safety equipment — no gloves, no shoes, no supplemental oxygen.
—Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019
GothamGetty Images Aren't expectant parents Jenna Dewan and Steve Kazee just so stinking cute?
—Emily Dixon, Marie Claire, 3 Dec. 2019
Second, the Huskies covered the spread as the favorite one stinking time?
—Mike Anthony, courant.com, 29 Aug. 2019
The area included a stinking heap: years of goat dung in layers up to a foot thick.
—Michael Greshko, National Geographic, 28 Aug. 2019
Man, that’s one crazy set of numbers, not to mention a stinking pile of horse manure, as the two long-revered defenders continue to make one sensational play after another . .
—Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, 19 July 2019
Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Nix can sling it with Sam Darnold all stinking day.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 27 Jan. 2026
Free yourself from those stinking shackles!
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2026
The carpets were absolutely stinking of wet cheesy dog.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
The defense already looks tired of the offense stinking.
—Zac Jackson, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
But who cares about stinking elections?
—Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Not the good, high-altitude ozone that shields us from dangerous UV light, but bad ozone, hovering right above ground level — stinking, brownish, grayish photochemical smog.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Their solution to a stinking run was, comically, to rely on less than 23 per cent of possession and pick Madrid off with a classy volley from Martin Satriano, below.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2019
Muttaiah said the man inside the stinking manhole was working without any safety equipment — no gloves, no shoes, no supplemental oxygen.
—Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019
GothamGetty Images Aren't expectant parents Jenna Dewan and Steve Kazee just so stinking cute?
—Emily Dixon, Marie Claire, 3 Dec. 2019
Second, the Huskies covered the spread as the favorite one stinking time?
—Mike Anthony, courant.com, 29 Aug. 2019
The area included a stinking heap: years of goat dung in layers up to a foot thick.
—Michael Greshko, National Geographic, 28 Aug. 2019
Man, that’s one crazy set of numbers, not to mention a stinking pile of horse manure, as the two long-revered defenders continue to make one sensational play after another . .
—Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, 19 July 2019
Verb
While the paramedics tried to decide whether to walk around or step over the stinking trash, a neighborhood’s shock began to bloat.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Nix can sling it with Sam Darnold all stinking day.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 27 Jan. 2026
Free yourself from those stinking shackles!
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2026
The carpets were absolutely stinking of wet cheesy dog.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
The defense already looks tired of the offense stinking.
—Zac Jackson, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
But who cares about stinking elections?
—Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinking
Adjective
-
Case calls out common offenses like loud speakerphone calls during boarding, playing videos without headphones, or eating super-smelly food.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Empty your washing machine promptly at the end of every cycle to prevent bacteria growth and smelly odors from developing in your damp clothes, advises Palmer-Smith.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When Robby races into the room, our drunk country clubber is being restrained, and his nose is bleeding.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Meet Keoma Duarte, age 41, accused of vehicular homicide of a local cop while driving drunk.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
There’s gonna have to be a lot of that because these NFL rights are going to be so damn expensive, these streaming services are going to have to figure it out.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The Hemi set the bar pretty damn high—Dodge got a comical 1,025-hp claim out of the Demon 170 before ending production of the Challenger.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And the smell is soft and pleasant, instead of reeking of alcohol.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Following the opening verse with the characterization of his lady’s eyes, Shakespeare proceeded to give a rundown of her other features in less than flattering terms, including her lips (pale), hair (wiry), voice (grating) and breath (reeking).—
David McGrath,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Are there ways to prevent ticks from sucking on his body?—
Jane Sykes,
Washington Post,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Though the Democratic primary for the 7th Congressional District may be sucking up much of the political oxygen within Indianapolis, Republican voters on the south side of the city will have their own choices to make.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Jenn Harris has a column about a battle over stinky tofu at Golden Leaf restaurant in San Gabriel.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Millions of dead red crabs, normally found further south, washed up on local shores, making a stinky mess.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That has meant hours of waiting for people in car accidents, and no troopers available to respond when a call about a drunken driver comes in, according to ISP.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In February 2025, however, he was arrested in Minnesota on a drunken driving charge, jailed, and then turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.—
Clark Kauffman,
Des Moines Register,
23 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
But Cleveland State was, in fact, a damned good basketball team, as were most of the double-digit seed winners in NCAA Tournament history.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
-
And damned if Love isn’t willing to talk, sometimes candidly and other times in maddeningly vague terms, about all the hell she’s gone through to get to right now.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinking. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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