sniff at

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 one looks really fun, and the 96% Rotten Tomatoes score is nothing to sniff at. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Considering how robust the company’s hyper-local audience is, that bump is nothing to sniff at. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 18 June 2026

Her black cat sniffs at the flood’s edge. — Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026

Achieving Wrexham’s highest league finish — the previous best was 15th in the old Second Division, set in 1978-79 — is not to be sniffed at. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 3 May 2026

Rhymes for sniff at

• begat
• bobcat
• chitchat
• doormat
• ducat
• eclat
• format
• hazmat
• muskrat
• nonfat
• polecat
• thereat