SKUNKED Synonyms: 172 Similar and Opposite Words

skunked

verb

past tense of skunk

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

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

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

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 skunked Last year as the trade deadline approached, the Giants were 54-49 before getting skunked on a six-game homestand against the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 15 July 2026 That means two out of three Minnesota turkey hunters are going skunked this spring. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 16 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunked

Verb

In an interview with Inside Edition on Tuesday, store owner Adam Rubin said that his store has been review-bombed since Clarkson took to social media and named the store, and employees and surrounding businesses have been harassed.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
The Houthis bombed the corporate HQ of Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, officials said.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of bombed

Verb

In 2026, Keiko Fujimori narrowly defeated a left-wing candidate to win the Peruvian presidency, while most recently, in Colombia, conservative attorney Abelardo de la Espriella bested left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda.

— David Unsworth, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Since Baker Mayfield signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023, the Panthers have defeated their division rivals just once in the past seven meetings, including Carolina’s 43-13 blowout loss at home Sunday.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of defeated

Verb

The rich have been stung by a surprise 20% tax on their offshore wealth, much of it squirreled away in trusts in Hong Kong and Singapore, triggering a new rush for foreign passports.

— Andy Browne, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
But Wednesday’s result stung, as the 25-point defeat is the second-most lopsided season-opening loss in Heat history.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of stung

Verb

After forcing three turnovers and four sacks, UCLA trounced Michigan State 28-10 Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl.

— Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Bloom Energy — The fuel cell power company fell 5% even as third-quarter results trounced analysts' estimates.

— Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of trounced

Verb

Miller—who is no stranger to extramarital tabloid scandals herself—has also mastered her getting-cheated-on performances.

— Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
Bloomberg Philanthropies says the West Coast city has mastered the art of faster building applications.

— Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of mastered

Verb

Kaprizov and Hartman scored in the third period as Minnesota overcame a 3-1 deficit to force overtime.

— CBS News, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Craig overcame being sacked four times and the run game producing just 33 yards to lead TCU to the massive victory, as the Horned Frogs scored multiple touchdowns against a Power Four conference opponent for the first time this season.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcame

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skunk

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Style

“Skunked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunked. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of skunked

verb

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