stink 1 of 2

noun

Definition of stinknext
1
as in stench
a strong unpleasant smell the stink of burned plastic lingered in the kitchen for days after we accidentally melted a spatula on the stove

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in objection
a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent many town residents raised an unholy stink about the proposal to increase taxes yet again

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stink

2 of 2

verb

ˈstiŋk How to pronounce stink (audio)
1
as in to smell
to give off an extremely unpleasant smell the dog stinks because she tangled with a skunk again

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

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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 stink
Noun
There were flakes of gray ash on the rocks, and the choking stink of wet soot. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 For months, many at City Hall had expected Raman to make a stink if she was yanked from her post, transforming herself into a martyr. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Verb
Injuries stink, and so did the opacity with which the Clippers shared news of their star’s health status. — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Imagine answering the call of nature in a dark, stinking chamber alongside dozens of strangers, all while making pleasant conversation. — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stink
  1. stench
  2. objection
  3. smell
  4. suck
  5. exception
  6. reek
  7. complaint
  8. question
Noun
  • In the weeks after, more than 85 million pounds of rotting food being kept at the cold storage facility began to rot, leaving a putrid stench lingering over the area that led to infestations of rats, flies and other rodents.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The family lived in a company house beside a petroleum plant; Metze recalled waking as a child to the stench of kerosene.
    — Benjamin Wofford, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of stench
Noun
  • Miltenberg’s objection centers on comments James made before her office was appointed to lead the criminal investigation.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • As for the constant chatter about the unwelcome safety tech, Roma said the objections may be exaggerated.
    — Morgan Korn, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of objection
Verb
  • For example, one version of the chemical carvone smells like mint, while the other has a whiff of caraway, a spice often used in rye bread.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The attorneys said detainees have complained about going three to seven hours without water, and about having access only to tap water that tastes like metal and smells like fish.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of smell
Verb
  • The power of prediction markets derives precisely from sucking our attention toward what’s speculable—incentivizing the networked crowd to separate signal from noise at scale.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Suburbs stretch their undulating freeways into the grid, sucking out nutrients (and cutting through neighborhoods).
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of suck
Noun
  • The meeting has fallen to roughly 15 minutes and is now largely about exceptions, problems and decisions.
    — Keith Ferrazzi, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Anthropic allows exceptions for certain government contracts when contractual restrictions and safeguards adequately mitigate potential harm.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of exception
Verb
  • Instead, the two biggest options trades on the tape Tuesday reeked of skepticism.
    — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The main barn had collapsed, the lodge reeked of pack rats, garter snakes had claimed another building, and one of the cabins was leaning downhill.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of reek
Noun
  • But their complaints come as Lecornu's government seeks to rein in public spending to appease skittish bond markets, which have punished France more harshly than many of its peers this year, amid a global bond market rout.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In a criminal complaint, prosecutors accused Zhang of spying on a son of Taiwan’s president outside his residence in the Seattle area at the behest of Chinese officials.
    — David Douglas, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of complaint
Noun
  • His office did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press regarding a possible snap election.
    — JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The question should be how technology can make returning it cheap enough that the government no longer has an excuse.
    — Mark Lewyn, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of question

Phrases Containing stink

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stingy
stink
stinkard
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Cite this Entry

“Stink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stink. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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