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
For the record, T’s Mushroom & Swiss burger is nothing to sniff at, either.
—
Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 14 July 2025
By day 10, Neve had plenty of new hiding spaces, toys and a cat tree, along with more of Sarah's items to sniff at and get used to her scent.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 May 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 fans tend to sniff at commemorating achievements that fall short of glory.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 17 May 2025
On offer this midweek is a bounty neither can afford to sniff at.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The chance to further increase commercial income wouldn’t be sniffed at either.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
But as Drew points out 17% of five million businesses isn’t anything to sniff at.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
But Josie doesn't give up, following the other puppy around, sniffing at it curiously—and soon the duo are playing together, jumping, rolling and chasing each other around the room, getting more excited and boisterous as the time goes on.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
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Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 14 July 2025
By day 10, Neve had plenty of new hiding spaces, toys and a cat tree, along with more of Sarah's items to sniff at and get used to her scent.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 May 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 fans tend to sniff at commemorating achievements that fall short of glory.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 17 May 2025
On offer this midweek is a bounty neither can afford to sniff at.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The chance to further increase commercial income wouldn’t be sniffed at either.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
But as Drew points out 17% of five million businesses isn’t anything to sniff at.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
But Josie doesn't give up, following the other puppy around, sniffing at it curiously—and soon the duo are playing together, jumping, rolling and chasing each other around the room, getting more excited and boisterous as the time goes on.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sniff at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sniff%20at. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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