sniff at
phrasal verb
sniffed at; sniffing at; sniffs at
: to show dislike or disapproval of (something) especially because one thinks it is not important or worthy of respect
Some people sniff at the idea of using fake flowers.
It's not a big profit, but it's not to be sniffed at.
Your accomplishment is nothing to sniff at.
Examples of sniff at in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As for that sell-on clause, QPR won’t sniff at it.
—
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
For the record, T’s Mushroom & Swiss burger is nothing to sniff at, either.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 14 July 2025
Some of his old-guard fashion friends might have sniffed at the move, but Posen — who’s judged Project Runway, written a cookbook and designed for Hugo Boss — is unbothered.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2025
From left: Bruno the cat takes an interested sniff at a banana, before pulling back and making a disgusted face.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
But as Drew points out 17% of five million businesses isn’t anything to sniff at.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
For the record, T’s Mushroom & Swiss burger is nothing to sniff at, either.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 14 July 2025
Some of his old-guard fashion friends might have sniffed at the move, but Posen — who’s judged Project Runway, written a cookbook and designed for Hugo Boss — is unbothered.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2025
From left: Bruno the cat takes an interested sniff at a banana, before pulling back and making a disgusted face.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
But as Drew points out 17% of five million businesses isn’t anything to sniff at.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sniff at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sniff%20at. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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