1
as in ripe
having an unpleasant smell
came home from their trip to find stinking garbage that had been left in the kitchen
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drunk
slang
being under the influence of alcohol
warned her husband not to come home stinking—or he'd be sleeping on the couch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in damn
to a great degree
a huge, showy house that screams, "We're stinking rich!"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stinking
Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2019
Muttaiah said the man inside the stinking manhole was working without any safety equipment — no gloves, no shoes, no supplemental oxygen.
—Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019
GothamGetty Images Aren't expectant parents Jenna Dewan and Steve Kazee just so stinking cute?
—Emily Dixon, Marie Claire, 3 Dec. 2019
Second, the Huskies covered the spread as the favorite one stinking time?
—Mike Anthony, courant.com, 29 Aug. 2019
The area included a stinking heap: years of goat dung in layers up to a foot thick.
—Michael Greshko, National Geographic, 28 Aug. 2019
Man, that’s one crazy set of numbers, not to mention a stinking pile of horse manure, as the two long-revered defenders continue to make one sensational play after another . .
—Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, 19 July 2019
But his mechanics were already pretty stinking good.
—Robert Klemko, SI.com, 15 July 2019
Eventually, more fat, oil, and grease congeal onto the mess and build up into giant stinking globs.
—National Geographic, 16 Aug. 2017
Adjective
This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2019
Muttaiah said the man inside the stinking manhole was working without any safety equipment — no gloves, no shoes, no supplemental oxygen.
—Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019
GothamGetty Images Aren't expectant parents Jenna Dewan and Steve Kazee just so stinking cute?
—Emily Dixon, Marie Claire, 3 Dec. 2019
Second, the Huskies covered the spread as the favorite one stinking time?
—Mike Anthony, courant.com, 29 Aug. 2019
The area included a stinking heap: years of goat dung in layers up to a foot thick.
—Michael Greshko, National Geographic, 28 Aug. 2019
Man, that’s one crazy set of numbers, not to mention a stinking pile of horse manure, as the two long-revered defenders continue to make one sensational play after another . .
—Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, 19 July 2019
But his mechanics were already pretty stinking good.
—Robert Klemko, SI.com, 15 July 2019
Eventually, more fat, oil, and grease congeal onto the mess and build up into giant stinking globs.
—National Geographic, 16 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinking
Adjective
-
Unity Biotechnology is a leading example, but the space is still early and ripe for newcomers.—
Abdo Riani,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
-
That means the weather was ripe for fire, and wind gusts of up to 25 miles per hour quickly whipped the fire toward inhabited areas.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Occasionally a table will be brought out to suggest another bar, another time, for Elmer to get drunk in and pick a fight, or a safe will be wheeled on stage for the clueless Elmer to try to blow up.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Ferguson was drunk at the time, according to prosecutors.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Directed by Robert Eggers, the gothic horror film sees newlyweds Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) and Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) haunted by the treacherous, blood-sucking Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard).—
EW.com,
EW.com,
30 Dec. 2024
-
This time around, even critics were convinced, joining in with libidinous fans to praise the blood-sucking second season, which was recently nominated for two Critics Choice Awards after being largely snubbed by voting bodies last year.—
Elaina Patton,
NBC News,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
In the plane with me were the pilot and our drunken passenger.—
Charles Elliott,
Outdoor Life,
1 May 2025
-
Her continued testimony is expected to play a crucial role in the trial over whether Read killed O’Keefe, her boyfriend, in January 2022 with her SUV during a drunken fit of rage, or whether she was framed for his murder by law enforcement officers.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
Adverb
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The combo of that large, efficient head; the dampening factor of the wood handle; and a nice texture at the base of the grip just felt so damned good, strike after strike.—
Joe Jackson,
Outside Online,
20 Nov. 2024
-
Still, Moore is pretty damned great — this could almost be her Fly.—
Tom Gliatto,
Peoplemag,
20 Sep. 2024
Verb
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Deep in the forest, the air whips by cold and fast and smelling of redwoods.—
Nick Czap,
Robb Report,
26 Dec. 2024
-
Especially when that includes boarding a Christmastime caboose brimming with holiday decor, smelling hot cocoa wafting through the cars, and enjoying plenty of picturesque views.—
Perri Ormont Blumberg Fox News,
Fox News,
26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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By the time Brunson and Hart were cleared to check back in, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau had a decision to make: call his final timeout, intentionally foul, or wait for a dead ball to make the subs.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2025
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However, the way this is happening has the vibe of last year’s midseason adjustment, when the NBA decided to enforce foul rules differently and turned the game more physical with time still to go in the regular season.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
During a succession of poor wet seasons, the females postpone reproductive maturation up to 10 years and may produce a litter only once a decade.—
Stephen S. Hall,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Allowing a wet rug to sit too long can cause mold and mildew to develop.—
Tessa Cooper,
Southern Living,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinking. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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