smack of
phrasal verb
smacked of; smacking of; smacks of
: to seem to contain or involve (something unpleasant)
That suggestion smacks of hypocrisy.
Examples of smack of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With its signature disdain for anything smacking of smarts or competence, the Trump administration now aims to destroy or neutralize them.
—
Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2025
If all this seems to smack of a P.T. Barnum, the company has a reply.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
The White House has responded with a series of stunts — a live presidential endorsement on the South Lawn, the commerce secretary shilling for Tesla stock on Fox News, the FBI threatening vandals with terrorism charges — that all smack of desperation.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
The Pax Americana was ever imperfect and to many people in the world, from Vietnam to Iraq, smacked of hypocrisy.
—Andreas Kluth, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
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Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2025
If all this seems to smack of a P.T. Barnum, the company has a reply.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
The White House has responded with a series of stunts — a live presidential endorsement on the South Lawn, the commerce secretary shilling for Tesla stock on Fox News, the FBI threatening vandals with terrorism charges — that all smack of desperation.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
The Pax Americana was ever imperfect and to many people in the world, from Vietnam to Iraq, smacked of hypocrisy.
—Andreas Kluth, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for smack of
Cite this Entry
“Smack of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smack%20of. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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