as in dog
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
he's nothing but a dirty, rotten skunk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of skunk
CBS News, 4 Dec. 2024
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
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
Rabies is commonly found in bats, raccoons, foxes, skunks and some household pets.
—CBS News, 4 Dec. 2024
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
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
-
For example, the Israeli military bombed the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius—Gaza's oldest church, consecrated in 1150—in October 2023.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
14 Jan. 2025
-
Meaning Israel is even allowed to bomb Iran directly, something that American Presidents have consistently refused to green-light.—
Melik Kaylan,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
But the white population usually defeats the preferred candidate of Black voters.—
Cheyanne M. Daniels,
The Hill,
17 Jan. 2025
-
United defeated Southampton 3-1 on Thursday night thanks to Amad’s late hat-trick to move Amorim’s side up to 12th in the Premier League, but the visitors — who are 10 points from safety — caused them plenty of problems.—
Laurie Whitwell,
The Athletic,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
That doesn’t mean the absences to Golden State’s second and third most valuable players haven’t stung.—
Danny Emerman,
The Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2025
-
Misdiagnosed by Dennis as a blithering NPC, Marcie turns out to be the emotional turnkey for the entire movie — even more so than Roman and Rocky’s mom (Lauren Graham), who pops in just long enough to suggest that losing a twin might sting with the same intensity as losing a child.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Focus on understanding end-to-end processes and business cases and mastering the art of asking questions.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
-
The challenges his agenda attempts to address accumulated over decades, and are now greater than can be mastered by any one leader, or even one country.—
Massimo Calabresi,
TIME,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
There’s a scene where the duo is trying to get their rent money back from Alyssa’s conniving and cheating boyfriend, which perfectly encapsulates the blend of wit and physical comedy that makes the film so memorable.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
21 Jan. 2025
-
West Virginia was also willing to cheat off of Keshon Gilbert.—
CJ Moore,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Some of his friends also collected drawings of clowns on jailhouse envelopes sent by their dads.—
Frank Rojas,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2025
-
The buzziest piece unveiled for last year’s show consisted of two large inflatable clown heads squished between two buildings.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near skunk
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunk. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share