STANK Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

stank 1 of 2

noun

ˈstaŋk

Definition of stank

British dialect

as in puddle

a small often deep body of water the Scottish innkeeper advised swimming in the nearby stank only if the prospect of hypothermia seemed appealing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

stank

2 of 2

verb

variants or stunk

past tense of stink

as in reeked

to give off an extremely unpleasant smell the dog stinks because she tangled with a skunk again

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in sucked

to be objectionable or unsatisfactory their team really stinks this year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ruled
rocked

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 stank

Verb

Nikola Jokic stunk in Game 3 on Thursday in Minneapolis. — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026 And after a decade without postseason play in town, few fans have been brave enough to suggest the team should have intentionally stunk again instead. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 14 Apr. 2026 Younger players either watched or didn’t improve as the Raiders stunk on ice. — Vic Tafur, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026 Dolphins have stunk lately in weather like this. — Greg Cote january 1, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stank

Noun

Many predicted that the pools grow very fast — that below the critical probability, puddles are tiny, and above it, a single ocean covers almost everything.

— Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
Eliminating standing water by filling in puddles, repairing eaves and changing the water in buckets and bowls at least once a day.

— Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of puddle

Verb

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
The Mystic of my childhood, though, had a modicum of edge — kids with anarchy symbols on their jackets skateboarded outside a coffee shop that reeked of weed, and locals got rowdy at a dysfunctional watering hole called the Draw Bridge Inne.

— Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026

Definition of reeked

Verb

Uplighting causes the dark panels to look like pillows, making the rooms feel soft and cosmic, as if the audience might be gently sucked into both the screen and the ceiling.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
They accidentally get sucked into a portal that transports them to a fantastical world with a friendly weredog (Dave Franco) and a demon (Lea Salonga) that feeds on memories.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of sucked

Noun

When Marie Cloutier stayed at a budget-friendly hotel in Massachusetts during a conference, the hotel pool was located in a ground-floor atrium at the center of the property where everyone could see — and hear — it.

— Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
The two were the only ones in the photos in which they were captured appearing to hold hands, hug, and, in one instance, sit in a pool together.

— Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of pool

Verb

Officers initially smelled the odor of unburnt cannabis during the stop, according to police, and Mark Stephens handed them an open container of weed.

— Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
Xcel crews told fire officials that a nearby business had used a cleaning solution that smelled like propane gas.

— Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of smelled

Browse Nearby Words

stanhopes

stank

stanks

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Stank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stank. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of stank

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

apiary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes