as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell
a stinky plant that attracts certain insects and then devours them
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Recent Examples of stinky
Frequent spills on the sides and bottom of the can lead to a sticky buildup that becomes stinky and unsanitary.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Sardines—the tiny, stinky fish your grandmother probably stocks in her pantry—are the newest beauty food.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 9 Mar. 2026
Baking soda is another eco-friendly cleaning product that miraculously absorbs stinky odors.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 7 Mar. 2026
The weevil’s young (grubs) eat the roots, turning them into a stinky, liquid mash.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Last summer, after years of complaints about the incinerator and deliveries of stinky sludge trucked in from dozens of other communities that sometimes amounted to 30 or more a day, the Woonsocket City Council took the first step to close it.
—Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal, 3 Mar. 2026
The New York Yankees are dealing with a stinky spring training situation after a sewage leak penetrated their clubhouse and outer hallway, and created pools of fetid water around George Steinbrenner Stadium.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 22 Feb. 2026
However, stuffing stinky or stained items away for months is a surefire way to permanently damage them.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026
Here's what to know about the stinky standoff and the growing ecological disaster.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Sardines—the tiny, stinky fish your grandmother probably stocks in her pantry—are the newest beauty food.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 9 Mar. 2026
Baking soda is another eco-friendly cleaning product that miraculously absorbs stinky odors.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 7 Mar. 2026
The weevil’s young (grubs) eat the roots, turning them into a stinky, liquid mash.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Last summer, after years of complaints about the incinerator and deliveries of stinky sludge trucked in from dozens of other communities that sometimes amounted to 30 or more a day, the Woonsocket City Council took the first step to close it.
—Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal, 3 Mar. 2026
The New York Yankees are dealing with a stinky spring training situation after a sewage leak penetrated their clubhouse and outer hallway, and created pools of fetid water around George Steinbrenner Stadium.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 22 Feb. 2026
However, stuffing stinky or stained items away for months is a surefire way to permanently damage them.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026
Here's what to know about the stinky standoff and the growing ecological disaster.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinky
Adjective
-
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
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 the harvest is ripe, residents of the Peacock Tract Community in Montgomery, Alabama, gather to enjoy nature’s bounty — free of charge.—
Adam Stone,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The city is also ripe for residents wanting to live somewhere that embraces progressive urban design and planning.—
Amelia Mularz,
Architectural Digest,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
However, these newer deodorants marketed as whole-body deodorants often do a good job at deodorizing the areas that create malodorous smells.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Vermin, malodorous airs and other issues caused 14 Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach restaurants to fail inspection last week.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Most residents of the United Arab Emirates are South Asians, most of whom have come not for disgusting luxury but for comfortable, middle-class dignity that would be difficult to obtain in their home countries.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
15 Mar. 2026
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On the phone, Miranda admits she’s known for a week, but agrees that what Shinia did was disgusting.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The turf gets hot in the heat of the day and urine and feces will create foul odors that won’t rinse away.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Clemson took a 64-61 lead halfway through the extra period on Moore's foul shot and a basket by Rachael Rose.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The filmmaker shows a strong handle over the film’s fanciful tone and fitfully filthy sense of humor, and he’s credited with composing the film’s score full of squawking brass instruments and skittish strings in addition to writing, directing and editing.—
Stephen Saito,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
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But there’s a difference between a dirty deal and a filthy deal.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The New York Yankees are dealing with a stinky spring training situation after a sewage leak penetrated their clubhouse and outer hallway, and created pools of fetid water around George Steinbrenner Stadium.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
22 Feb. 2026
-
The family imploded, and there’s something almost novelistic in the trajectory—from cramped newspaper offices in Adelaide and Fleet Street to Lachlan Murdoch as the custodian of a journalistic enterprise’s fetid remains.—
Andrew O’Hagan,
New Yorker,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stinky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinky. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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