as in scent
the quality of a thing that makes it perceptible to the sense organs in the nose
we took a good sniff of the sauce, trying to guess its ingredients
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sniff
Cj Moore, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
The owner is committed to mediocrity as long as there is a sniff of two playoff home dates.
—Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Johnny Dodd, People.com, 3 May 2025
Canines sniff the patients' breath samples while the company's AI platform monitors their behaviors and physical signals, like hesitation, sniff intensity and subtle body movements beyond the standard sit/no-sit cue.
—Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sniff
Noun
None of the others ever got a sniff from the Tigers, either.
—Cj Moore, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
The owner is committed to mediocrity as long as there is a sniff of two playoff home dates.
—Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
Since 2021, Ronin, who now lives in Cambodia’s Preah Vihear Province, has used his insanely sensitive nose to sniff out 109 deadly landmines and 15 unexploded pieces of military weaponry that have spent decades buried in the ground.
—Johnny Dodd, People.com, 3 May 2025
Canines sniff the patients' breath samples while the company's AI platform monitors their behaviors and physical signals, like hesitation, sniff intensity and subtle body movements beyond the standard sit/no-sit cue.
—Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sniff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sniff
Noun
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There’s a fragrance-free option, which dries down to have zero scent on the skin.—
Kristin Canning,
Wired News,
21 May 2025
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In language as deft and muscular as Rosa’s team, Drexler captures the scent of the blood and the resin, every wisecrack and sob story, every flake of talc and gob of spit, every pimple and blackhead on the lady wrestlers’ thighs.—
Lauren Elkin,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Verb
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While the fan airs out the vessel, boaters should smell for gas vapors, which are easily combustible, said Saltzburg, who posts boating safety videos on YouTube.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2025
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New York cannot afford to go down 3-0, but Indiana smells blood in the water.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Noun
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This stunning wine is salmon colored in the glass with enticing aromas of apple, cherry blossom, and honeysuckle.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
29 May 2025
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That’s all thanks to the Maillard reaction, which occurs when sugars interact with the amino acids of proteins to create new, delicious flavors and aroma compounds, and also heightens the umami.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2025
Verb
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When aerosols such as sea spray or smoke are inhaled, the fine particles can reach deep into the body, entering the bloodstream and even the brain when the particles are small enough.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
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When using bleach, try not to inhale any of the fumes and open windows when possible.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sniff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sniff. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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