William is excited about his promotion.
"is" is the linking verb.
She appears upset about the announcement.
"appears" is the linking verb
The eggs smell rotten.
"smell" in the linking verb
I believe the correct is "a word that describes another word in a sentence."
Linking verb is a verb that connects a subject with noun or an adjective to describe or identify the suject.
In other words, it is a verb that describes a subject, or its state.
Examples: is, am are, was, were, seems, be, been, being, appears.