as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell
your smelly sneakers are enough to raise the dead
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smelly
Before Brummell, the aristocracy dressed in rich, smelly materials; after, styles were adapted from military uniforms—think of the broad shoulders of a British pinstripe suit, for example.
—
Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
There’s nothing worse than getting out into the wilderness, away from society, and then hearing somebody one campsite over start up a loud, smelly gas generator.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 6 Jan. 2025
Mushy and smelly roots should be clipped away with sterilized pruners or scissors, while circling roots can be gently teased apart to improve water absorption.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Dec. 2024
Some states have taken measures to fight back against the smelly, harmful tree.
—Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 18 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for smelly
Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
There’s nothing worse than getting out into the wilderness, away from society, and then hearing somebody one campsite over start up a loud, smelly gas generator.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 6 Jan. 2025
Mushy and smelly roots should be clipped away with sterilized pruners or scissors, while circling roots can be gently teased apart to improve water absorption.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Dec. 2024
Some states have taken measures to fight back against the smelly, harmful tree.
—Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 18 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for smelly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelly
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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Summer is a season ripe for scandal; people tend to be overheated and understimulated, looking to mist their crisping minds with idle gossip.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
30 May 2025
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At a time when the salary cap ceiling is taking a significant jump to $95.5 million, the conditions are ripe for upheaval.—
Chris Johnston,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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Public stations were expensive to maintain and quickly became dirty and malodorous.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
22 Jan. 2025
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Come for Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb, sweaty and malodorous and razor-sharp; stay for some of the best-structured storytelling on television.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene slid into foul territory down the left-field line in pursuit of Chase Meidroth’s third-inning fly ball, then disappeared in a cloud of dust.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
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Then, Muncy went deep again, continuing his recent surge by belting another three-run homer high off the right-field foul pole, tying a career-high with seven RBIs on the day.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
Adjective
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Conrad wraps the conversation by being incredibly disgusting about Bella’s nether regions.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
1 June 2025
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For the next 200 years, snails only appeared in Parisian cookbooks alongside an apology for including such a disgusting ingredient.—
Garritt C. Van Dyk,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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The law specifically spells out heating problems, pest infestations and filthy conditions as among the issues that could require a court’s intervention.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
30 May 2025
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Detectives have criminally charged the owner of nearly 50 Belgian Malinois dogs that were found trapped together in a cramped, filthy Queens apartment, police said Wednesday.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Not so happy are people trying to swim around the stuff or breathing in the fetid aroma of drying mounds of sargassum.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 May 2025
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Only one of them has a fetish for the fetid stink of porta potties, but the other one has their weird kinks too.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Towels that are left in pile on the floor and aren't dried properly tend to develop musty odors and should be washed immediately.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 June 2025
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Benefits Of Lower Humidity There are many good reasons to keep humidity at bay in the basement: Reduce musty odors and mildew growth.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelly. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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