skunked

verb

past tense of skunk
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

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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

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
  1. bombed
  2. defeated
  3. stung
  4. upset
  5. mastered
  6. cheated
  7. trounced
  8. overcame
Verb
  • That’s because this onetime refuge of Pablo Picasso was bombed to hell less than three weeks before the official end of the Second World War.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In its kinetic war, the US has mostly bombed southern Iran, with more than 1,000 targets hit last month alone.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of bombed
Verb
  • Within years, the iconoclastic comic was a weary and defeated man — broke, baggy-eyed, and prematurely old.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Alaves defeated 10-man Getafe 3-0 and Sevilla rallied to beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of defeated
Verb
  • Spray the nest from a distance to reduce the chances of being stung.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • More than 3,100 people have been stung at Bolsa Chica and Huntington State Beach so far this year, which is at least double last year's total.
    — Michele Gile, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of stung
Verb
  • With most guests required to sign strict NDAs and instructed to keep quiet about the intimate event, Kelce’s decision to speak publicly has deeply upset them.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 14 Aug. 2026
  • There is also worry that the government’s push will upset the legacy of former Emperor Akihito, including making amends for the victims of World War II, which was fought in his father’s name.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of upset
Verb
  • Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor who became chair after his 2004 Presidential campaign, told me that part of the job is learning how to tune out the complaints, something Martin has apparently not yet mastered.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
  • And for me right now, the Weeknd, whatever that is, it’s been mastered.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of mastered
Verb
  • Not to be cheated in front of the largest assembly of Hall of Famers since the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, Schwarber flew out twice to deep center field.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Bo told Lu that if the audit produced evidence that he had been cheated, Wang should go to prison.
    — Hailey Wang, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheated
Verb
  • Inter Miami, which won the tournament in 2023 shortly after Messi’s arrival, reached the final again last year but was trounced 3-0 by the Seattle Sounders in front of a sellout crowd of 69,314.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Yet Milwaukee had the best record in baseball last year, and they still got trounced by the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of trounced
Verb
  • Crowley overcame Francesca Hong in dramatic, narrow fashion in Tuesday's primary, stunning pundits and pollsters who had long placed Hong as the front-runner.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • El-Sayed overcame funding disadvantage The stark contrasts in candidate funding led to differences in advertising strategies and appeals to different groups of voters.
    — Michael Traugott, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of overcame

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Cite this Entry

“Skunked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunked. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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