smell blood

phrase

: to sense an opponent's weakness or vulnerability

Examples of smell blood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But when hiding doesn’t work, the lizards deploy their unusual, foul-smelling blood, which Williams says is a product of an equally foul delicacy. — Rj MacKenzie, Popular Science, 1 Nov. 2026 When one bag of their coke winds up swimming with the fishers, the stage’s set for sharks and psychos to smell blood and swarm. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smell blood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smell%20blood. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster