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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skunk
Malcolm Brooks Malcolm Hillgartner Krish Seenivasan Zak Mouton, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
That’s a sure way to invite not only raccoons but other unwanted guests such as mice, opossums, and skunks.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024
There’s nothing worse than getting skunked and then stuck in the marsh with no cell service.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 4 Nov. 2020
See all Example Sentences for skunk 
Noun
Any time an agricultural producer or horse owner or home gardener has a persistent issue with dangerous or destructive animals — skunks denning under a shed, raccoons raiding a chicken coop, bears gorging in a vineyard — Chandler can assist, either with advice or, if necessary, direct intervention.
—Malcolm Brooks Malcolm Hillgartner Krish Seenivasan Zak Mouton, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
That’s a sure way to invite not only raccoons but other unwanted guests such as mice, opossums, and skunks.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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
There’s nothing worse than getting skunked and then stuck in the marsh with no cell service.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 4 Nov. 2020
See all Example Sentences for skunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunk
Noun
-
According to LifeLine, the DeKalb shelter takes in 135 dogs a week on average.—
Jim Gaines,
ajc,
13 Sep. 2023
-
The remains were found by two men who were running their dogs and looking for rocks, according to DNASolves.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Sep. 2023
Verb
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The Palestinians who lived there had no homes because their homes were bombed (that is another story for another time).—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2025
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But the most dangerous favor, by far, would be U.S. assistance in bombing Iranian nuclear sites — or even threatening to do so in a new campaign of diplomatic coercion.—
Rosemary Kelanic,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Netanyahu meanwhile is under heavy pressure from his far-right political allies to resume the war after the first phase so that Hamas, which carried out the deadliest attack on Israelis in their history, can be defeated.—
Tia Goldenberg,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2025
-
In both instances, the Eagles defeated arguably the NFL’s most dominant team.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Should sting operations be left to the professionals?—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2025
-
The tariffs against Canada and Mexico are especially stinging due to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade pact that was a signature agreement under Trump’s first administration.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
There was this other actor who had never smoked pot in her life.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Skillets of buttery cornbread, catfish nuggets with house remoulade, smoked jerk chicken wings, bowls of gumbo bobbing with crab legs, triangles of short rib sandwiches and platters stacked with powdered mincemeat cookies arrived on the table one after one.—
Laurie Ochoa,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Chiefs, who have mastered the art of everything from the improbable comeback win to defying the odds and the injuries that seem insurmountable en route to a third straight Super Bowl, might have unlocked the cheat code on stopping the tush push.—
Dan Gelston,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2025
-
Lizzie Hider, whose company Communicate Well provides language teachers for 15 of the 20 Premier League clubs, still marvels at Cesc Fabregas’s approach to mastering English at Arsenal.—
Stuart James,
The Athletic,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Mark Darcy, however... While Daniel may have been able to cheat death, Mark, sadly, was not.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
12 Feb. 2025
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He’s chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans’ lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power.—
Rebecca Schneid,
TIME,
8 Feb. 2025
Noun
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While the aforementioned gamer creep threatens to rob us of silly confrontational television, there’s been one thing stopping them and making season three entertaining: The Traitors picked this season are dysfunctional clowns.—
Alex Abad-Santos,
Vox,
6 Feb. 2025
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There was a good joke buried in that conceit: maybe only clowns spend as much time in the makeup chair as the drag artists that have provided Roan the inspiration for her primary look.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near skunk
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunk. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
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