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
Steve Bender, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2026
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
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
And not some stinking Bradford pears.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2026
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
-
Tripti Bhattacharya, a paleoclimatologist at Syracuse University, also takes advantage of waxy substances—though much less smelly ones.—
Hannah Richter,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
-
This part of the bathroom is often overlooked when cleaning the bathroom, but mold, mildew, and mineral deposits can build up in the tank and cause smelly odors.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That's when prosecutor Greg Greer says law enforcement tracked his phone to Humboldt County, in northern California, where Rickman turned up drunk at a relative's house.—
Paul LaRosa,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
-
One woman, apparently drunk, ran into the sea and promptly collapsed.—
Robin Romm,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
Adverb
-
Or damn near the entire overtime period, as Oettinger fended off shot after shot, the 11th one finally getting past as Matt Boldy won a puck battle in the corner, went straight to the top of the blue paint, and deflected in a Jared Spurgeon shot for the game-winner.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
And therein lies screenwriter John Logan’s and director Antoine Fuqua’s damn near insurmountable hurdle.—
Keith Murphy,
VIBE.com,
24 Apr. 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
-
Feeling restless and reckless, Michael (LJ Benet) is drawn to a hard-rocking local band that is secretly a quartet of young vampires that is literally sucking the life out of the community.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In 1992, the Daily Mirror published photos of Bryan sucking on the royal’s toes while on vacation in Saint-Tropez.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Compost Deodorizer Baking soda can deodorize our fridge, so why not use it on a stinky compost pile?—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Keno brought his goofy side to every practice, getting laughs at stinky feet jokes, or pretending to run into a door.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Neighbors said the drunken Queens man who broke into his estranged wife’s home and set off a gas explosion seemed like anything but a ticking time bomb.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
No festivals, no Lilith Fairs — not even a random dive bar on a drunken night out in the ’90s.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 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 8 May. 2026.
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