the sniffles
plural noun
informal
: a slight or mild cold that causes a person to sniffle a lot
I have (a case of) the sniffles.
Examples of the sniffles in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Once the courtroom became quiet again, all that could be heard through the whispers were the sniffles of tearful grieving family members.
—
Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023
But does a healthy younger person who lives alone and develops the sniffles need to buy a test?
—Carolyn Y. Johnson, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Sep. 2023
That mysterious locution and the lack of additional details raised the possibility that something more than the sniffles might be ailing the Boss.
—Stuart Munro, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2023
If your child has a mild cold, just the sniffles, but has no fever, is not vomiting, bring him to school...
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2023
If your child has the sniffles, encourage them to wear a mask to prevent spreading germs.
—Sandra Gordon, Parents, 31 July 2023
Widespread confusion remains over the best practices in the event a kid has the sniffles or a stomachache, said Hedy Chang, founder and executive director of Attendance Works, a national advocacy organization.
—USA Today, 12 June 2023
Sick is a broad term that ranges from having the sniffles to COVID, so there is not just one answer.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 30 Mar. 2023
Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023
But does a healthy younger person who lives alone and develops the sniffles need to buy a test?
—Carolyn Y. Johnson, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Sep. 2023
That mysterious locution and the lack of additional details raised the possibility that something more than the sniffles might be ailing the Boss.
—Stuart Munro, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2023
If your child has a mild cold, just the sniffles, but has no fever, is not vomiting, bring him to school...
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2023
If your child has the sniffles, encourage them to wear a mask to prevent spreading germs.
—Sandra Gordon, Parents, 31 July 2023
Widespread confusion remains over the best practices in the event a kid has the sniffles or a stomachache, said Hedy Chang, founder and executive director of Attendance Works, a national advocacy organization.
—USA Today, 12 June 2023
Sick is a broad term that ranges from having the sniffles to COVID, so there is not just one answer.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 30 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the sniffles.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“The sniffles.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20sniffles. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
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