as in dog
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
he's nothing but a dirty, rotten skunk
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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
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of skunk
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2024
The animals included twelve bats, nine racoons, eight skunks, two groundhogs, a bobcat, three cats and a fox, data shows.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 12 Dec. 2024
Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 4 Nov. 2020
That means two out of three Minnesota turkey hunters are going skunked this spring.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 21 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for skunk 
Noun
Like other types of wildlife, such as raccoons, opossums, and skunks, coyotes love an easy meal and will quickly learn where to find one, says Owen.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2024
The animals included twelve bats, nine racoons, eight skunks, two groundhogs, a bobcat, three cats and a fox, data shows.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
There’s nothing worse than getting skunked and then stuck in the marsh with no cell service.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 4 Nov. 2020
That means two out of three Minnesota turkey hunters are going skunked this spring.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 21 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for skunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunk
Noun
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Responding officers found the dog, and advised the owner to take the dog in.cleveland, cleveland, 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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With Biden now down to his final two weeks, there are no active discussions about bombing Iran.Barak Ravid, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025
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Which helps to explain why so many popular stand-ups have blown their hosting stints; Jo Koy memorably bombed on the Globes stage last year with a misogynistic Barbie riff.Judy Berman, TIME, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In a nearly a three-hour match Friday in Melbourne, Vekić defeated No. 12 seed Diana Shnaider 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 7-5 to advance to the round of 16.Jill Martin, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025
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But the white population usually defeats the preferred candidate of Black voters.Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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One day later Miami would kick off its plans for 2025 right by landing former Georgia starting quarterback Carson Beck in the transfer portal (more on that in a bit), but, still, this Orange Bowl had to sting Cristobal over all that might have been.Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2025
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That loss hurt, of course, and losing the Super Bowl this time around would sting, too.Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The beachfront house stands tall amid piles of rubble, still smoking from the Palisades fire, in an iconic image splashed around the world by news outlets.Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
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Radon — a radioactive gas found in some homes, particularly in the Midwest — is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who have never smoked.Aria Bendix, NBC News, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Transforming classic dishes into allergen-friendly versions is an art Chef Liz has mastered.Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2025
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In contrast, quantum computers training on quantum data need exponentially fewer examples to master a task.Charina Chou, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Caregivers may be tempted to let kids win or even cheat to avoid meltdowns and tantrums.Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 8 Jan. 2025
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Most significantly, with three other dangerous Bears weapons spread to the right, safety Xavier Woods began cheating in that direction before the play began.Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The story features Mauro, a clown who dreams of a carnival where a parade of revelers are celebrating his life.Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
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Both movies feature a killer clown, but while Joaquin Phoenix’s grinning menace suffers from delusions of grandeur and an unspecified mental illness, the hideous ghoul from hell in Terrifier known as Art hacks away at his victims with no discernible motivation beyond the grisly acts themselves.Eric Kohn, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near skunk
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunk. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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