stunk

Definition of stunknext
past participle of stink
1
as in smelled
to give off an extremely unpleasant smell the dog stinks because she tangled with a skunk again

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in sucked
to be objectionable or unsatisfactory their team really stinks this year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 stunk Nikola Jokic stunk in Game 3 on Thursday in Minneapolis. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026 And after a decade without postseason play in town, few fans have been brave enough to suggest the team should have intentionally stunk again instead. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 14 Apr. 2026 Younger players either watched or didn’t improve as the Raiders stunk on ice. Vic Tafur, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026 Dolphins have stunk lately in weather like this. Greg Cote january 1, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stunk
Verb
  • Take that time at the 2021 Academy Awards when a reporter asked her what Brad Pitt smelled like.
    Regina Kim, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Water began pouring into David Tahara’s North Park home Tuesday night around midnight, thanks to a late-breaking rainfall and a basement storm drain that smelled of sewage at certain points.
    Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Any passengers not knocked out during the chaos or sucked out into the sky are generally screaming and grabbing for oxygen masks while Captain Rich makes a futile announcement about the importance of not panicking.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Being pulled away from her child felt like the air was being sucked out of her lungs.
    Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The gangway between the tents opened up to a vast area of benches that reeked of wet dogs under the pressure of texturizing sprays, mousse, rollers, flat irons, and blow-dryers.
    Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Ed’s uncle’s garage apartment reeked of must and jug wine.
    Nick Dothée, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stunk. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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