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
This playful romp, complete with chirpy hiccups, was sniffed at as crass and materialistic by critics waiting for another reason to resist Madonna's mania in 1984.
—
Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024
The annual growth, even if less than 6 percent, is nothing to sniff at.
—Alex Travelli, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2024
Footage captured 20 minutes after the attack shows the big cat returning to sniff at the dog’s collar, which came off in the yard during the tussle.
—Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 14 Feb. 2024
The sanctimony that Brown sniffs at certainly exists, but a little bit of the holy spirit is probably necessary to report on contemporary America.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2024
Its Gazan owners had fled, leaving it to sniff at the tracks of an Israeli tank.
—Patrick Kingsley Avishag Shaar-Yashuv, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2024
Meanwhile, Sherlock was having better luck at socializing with Nina, a shy 4-year-old mixed breed who was tentatively sniffing at my corgi while also exchanging glances with a poodle a few feet away.
—Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 31 Dec. 2023
And bank savings accounts are not to be sniffed at: Like CDs, they are insured up to $250,000 per institution per depositor, and the best are paying about 5%.
—Steve Garmhausen, wsj.com, 13 Oct. 2023
The animal also walks towards the camera and sniffs at the ground before calmly turning away.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 12 Oct. 2023
Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024
The annual growth, even if less than 6 percent, is nothing to sniff at.
—Alex Travelli, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2024
Footage captured 20 minutes after the attack shows the big cat returning to sniff at the dog’s collar, which came off in the yard during the tussle.
—Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 14 Feb. 2024
The sanctimony that Brown sniffs at certainly exists, but a little bit of the holy spirit is probably necessary to report on contemporary America.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2024
Its Gazan owners had fled, leaving it to sniff at the tracks of an Israeli tank.
—Patrick Kingsley Avishag Shaar-Yashuv, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2024
Meanwhile, Sherlock was having better luck at socializing with Nina, a shy 4-year-old mixed breed who was tentatively sniffing at my corgi while also exchanging glances with a poodle a few feet away.
—Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 31 Dec. 2023
And bank savings accounts are not to be sniffed at: Like CDs, they are insured up to $250,000 per institution per depositor, and the best are paying about 5%.
—Steve Garmhausen, wsj.com, 13 Oct. 2023
The animal also walks towards the camera and sniffs at the ground before calmly turning away.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 12 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sniff at.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sniff at
Cite this Entry
“Sniff at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sniff%20at. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share