reek
Example Sentences
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Disproportionate death sentences may be convincing to those who make clemency decisions, and they reek of unfairness.
From Slate ● Mar. 6, 2026
In the movie, Charli contends with the unfathomable triumph of “Brat” while fielding brand deal offers and label demands that reek of the capitalist desperation to extend the “Brat” era as long as possible.
From Salon ● Feb. 8, 2026
So the two embarked on a survey in the university hostels asking a truly human question: if our sneakers reek, doesn't that ruin the entire experience of using a shoe rack?
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2025
The scenes in Ecuador reek of made-for-TV contrivance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2024
The reek rose from rotting corpses lying in shallow graves, from overflowing latrines, and from the stale sweat of men who had not enjoyed the luxury of a bath for weeks.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
The shelter in the town hall car park has excrement smeared on the floor and reeks of urine.
From Barron's ● Mar. 14, 2026
While the bots are getting slightly better at mimicking human cadences, AI-generated writing still reeks of the sterile laboratory where it originates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
By leaving the couple of hours between posts “to me, reeks of some sort of impropriety,” Adami said.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026
The kind that reeks of washed rinds, that crunches with tyrosine crystals, that bears the name of a tiny European village in delicate, old-world type.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2025
In the dressing station there is great activity: it reeks as ever of carbolic, pus, and sweat.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
By late May, a judge declared the indictment a bad-faith effort that reeked of vindictive prosecution and dismissed it.
From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2026
"The house reeked when we first got here, it was genuinely atrocious for months," Razan says.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
She recalled suffering a nosebleed in the heat in a field where there was no shade, as well as working in fields that reeked of chemicals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
It also reeked of “desperation,” per former federal prosecutor Harry Litman.
From Salon ● May 29, 2024
The streets of King's Landing had always been teeming and raucous and noisy, but now they reeked of danger in a way that he did not recall from past visits.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Snake is a wonderfully pulpy, instantly iconic creation, an outcast adventurer reeking of sweat and post-Vietnam cynicism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2025
Fans have been speaking to BBC Sport to vent their frustration at the situation, with one saying: "Spurs now enter the final few weeks of the transfer window reeking of desperation."
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2025
But this year, there have been more than a few complaints that the long-awaited year-end data dump was surprisingly "boring," and reeking of AI.
From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2024
Far from the handsome man she has pictured, he struts in with an “air of cheap assurance” and flashes his trinkets, reeking of cheap cologne, hair coated in bear grease.
From Slate ● May 27, 2024
He was in the dripping, reeking bowels of the earth.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Vocabulary lists containing reek
The Nose Knows: Olfactory Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Something Smells: From "Malodorous" to "Mephitic" to "It Reeks!"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Smell Words
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
