on the scent of
idiom
: following (an animal or person) by sensing the animal's or person's smell
The dogs was on the scent of a fox.
—often used figurativelyThe reporter was on the scent of a big story.
Examples of on the scent of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The cat seems nervous, cautious, constantly sniffing to pick up on the scent of the humans who’d been there the day before.
—
Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 19 May 2025
But by 1781, when King George III commissioned James Creed to concoct a spritz based on the scent of his favorite gloves, the tables had turned.
—Town & Country, 3 Mar. 2023
Over the course of an hour, the dogs got on the scent of a female mountain lion and scared her into a tree.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2023
Studies have shown, for example, that people can correctly distinguish the body odor of relatives from non-family members and can even guess the emotional states of others, based just on the scent of their sweat.
—Holly Barker, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2022
African giant pouched rats like Magawa, which are much lighter than the roughly 11 pounds required to trigger land mines, are adroit in the minefields and can pick up on the scent of chemical compounds inside these devices.
—Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2022
Eau de Minthé reinvents an emblematic perfumery accord, fougère, drawing on the scent of mint.
—Joseph Deacetis, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2021
Last and dandiest is Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright), a doyen of the Tastes and Smells department, who is hot on the scent of cuisine gendarmique.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2021
Officers have discontinued vehicle and person searches that are conducted based solely on the scent of marijuana.
—Stephanie Pagones, Fox News, 7 June 2021
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Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 19 May 2025
But by 1781, when King George III commissioned James Creed to concoct a spritz based on the scent of his favorite gloves, the tables had turned.
—Town & Country, 3 Mar. 2023
Over the course of an hour, the dogs got on the scent of a female mountain lion and scared her into a tree.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2023
Studies have shown, for example, that people can correctly distinguish the body odor of relatives from non-family members and can even guess the emotional states of others, based just on the scent of their sweat.
—Holly Barker, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2022
African giant pouched rats like Magawa, which are much lighter than the roughly 11 pounds required to trigger land mines, are adroit in the minefields and can pick up on the scent of chemical compounds inside these devices.
—Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2022
Eau de Minthé reinvents an emblematic perfumery accord, fougère, drawing on the scent of mint.
—Joseph Deacetis, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2021
Last and dandiest is Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright), a doyen of the Tastes and Smells department, who is hot on the scent of cuisine gendarmique.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2021
Officers have discontinued vehicle and person searches that are conducted based solely on the scent of marijuana.
—Stephanie Pagones, Fox News, 7 June 2021
Cite this Entry
“On the scent of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20scent%20of. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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