1
as in bombed
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
Relevance
2
as in defeated
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 stung
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunked
Verb
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It’s been a few days since the United States bombed the Venezuelan capital in an operation that resulted in the capture of Chavista President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.—
Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
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This year, the United States has bombed Iran, Syria, Nigeria and Venezuela.—
Verb
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The Houston Texans defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 in the final game of the wild card round of the playoffs on Monday in what might be the end of the Aaron Rodgers era in the NFL.—
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The Panthers were defeated by the Los Angeles Rams, 34-31, on Saturday in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs.—
Verb
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Tuesday’s loss in Orlando stung a little more for the Miami Heat than the usual December loss during a long 82-game regular season.—
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But still, some losses have stung harder than others.—
Verb
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Uruguay — Now take the above scenario, but imagine Uruguay upsets its towering South American neighbor in the round of 32.—
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The Atlanta Falcons’ upset over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17 changed everything.—
Verb
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He's mastered this over the years.—
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Few people have mastered the art of quietly luxurious style as well as Gwyneth Paltrow, and a quick scroll through her Instagram page proves it.—
Verb
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Bondi forgave a crime that had put people’s lives at risk and cheated the government of vaccine doses that could have been given to others.—
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The tension resurfaced when her sister discovered her partner had cheated again and asked to stay at the poster’s home with both children.—
Verb
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The Steelers were trounced 30-6 by the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card game on Monday night at Acrisure Field.—
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Riggs won, but was later trounced in a rematch with Billie Jean King.—
Verb
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Keldon Johnson had 27 points, Victor Wembanyama added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs overcame 38 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists from Luka Doncic to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 107-91 on Wednesday night.—
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In 2017, for instance, prosecutors in Contra Costa overcame an insanity defense by William Shultz, who murdered a 9-year-old Discovery Bay boy during a sleepover and blamed it on a delusion about an impending World War III.—
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Cite this Entry
“Skunked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunked. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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