as in dog
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
he's nothing but a dirty, rotten skunk
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to bomb
to defeat by a large margin
we ended up skunking them, as our goalie was able to prevent the other team from scoring a single goal
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to defeat
to achieve a victory over
our football team consistently skunks our traditional rivals Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to sting
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
unwilling to let suppliers skunk him, the restaurant owner inspected every shipment before signing off on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of skunk
Anton Sorokin, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
Bats and skunks are common transmitters of the disease.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2024
Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 15 May 2024
In a remarkable, odds-defying losing streak, the 67-year-old composer has been skunked on every nomination, including the past seven years in a row.
—Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skunk
Noun
Medium-sized animals like skunks, bobcats and foxes also did not vanish.
—Anton Sorokin, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
Bats and skunks are common transmitters of the disease.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2024
Verb
The premise was that the Minnesota Timberwolves were trying to reconnect in this series after getting skunked twice at home.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 15 May 2024
In a remarkable, odds-defying losing streak, the 67-year-old composer has been skunked on every nomination, including the past seven years in a row.
—Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunk
Noun
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The couple was seen taking a stroll on a N.Y.C. street with Bosworth's dog, Happy, on Tuesday.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
Peoplemag,
13 Sep. 2023
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Police brought in hundreds of law enforcement personnel with dogs, armored carriers, horses and helicopters that circled overhead.—
Maryclaire Dale, Marc Levy and Michael Rubinkam,
Anchorage Daily News,
13 Sep. 2023
Verb
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The posture shift came as Trump threatened to bomb Iran if the country does not strike a deal over its nuclear weapons capabilities.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
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Khamenei had warned the U.S. would face strong retaliation if Trump followed through on his threat to bomb Iran.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Out of Spokane Regional 1, No. 1 overall seed UCLA advances to their first Final Four in program history in the modern era after defeating No. 3 LSU, 72-65.—
Allison Smith,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
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Orange County officials pitched a sales tax increase to voters that was soundly defeated in 2022.—
Skyler Swisher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
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With very little time left in the season, how the Lakers respond to Thursday’s stinging defeat could have a significant impact on their playoff outlook.—
Khobi Price,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2025
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Bruce was badly bruised by experiences at Newcastle and West Brom, the two jobs that preceded Blackpool where personal criticisms stung.—
Philip Buckingham,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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One dines on such sophisticated and opulent appetizers as smoked salmon ravioli (a special on a recent night, $10), which were fat puffs of pasta stuffed with salmon and seasonings.—
Jeff Kleinman,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2025
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You can get smoked salmon, rainbow trout, or Atlantic salmon.—
Ronny Maye,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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To learn even more about the Omnibus changes and how an ERP-centric system can benefit your business, read SAP’s latest white paper on mastering CSRD here.—
Sophia Mendelsohn,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Someone who seems to have the whole recipe round-up mastered?—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Okay, cheating here a little, as Zendaya has already been cast as Ronnie Spector in Barry Jenkins’s biopic of the iconic singer and lead of the ’60s girl group the Ronettes.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
3 Apr. 2025
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Trump cheers major voter ID win — says Dems can’t 'cheat' anymore.—
FOXNews.com,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Caro Stowell of Thomasville was dressed up like a clown.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2025
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The White Lotus isn’t the only piece of content that’s down to clown with sibling-on-sibling action!—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunk. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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