1
as in sniffing
to become aware of by means of the sense organs in the nose
we smelled the aroma of freshly baked cookies as soon as we walked in the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in sensing
to have a vague awareness of
I smell something fishy about this situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smelling
Bears aren't just smelling your hot dogs and hamburgers.
—
Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026
Tasks can include smelling dangerously high or low glucose levels, smelling mood swings, anxiety and depression, smelling an impending seizure and many other tasks.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 14 June 2026
Here's your complete guide for how to wash clothes with vinegar to enjoy softer, better-smelling fabrics.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 June 2026
Ahead, an InStyle writer shares nine of the most expensive-smelling perfumes in her collection, and the creators behind each bottle.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 12 June 2026
The bites from screwworms can be quite painful and cause foul-smelling wounds, which attract more flies.
—Judy Stone, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
None of these strategies would work to represent a dog smelling.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Create cohesiveness from room to room A luxury-smelling home isn’t one note repeated everywhere.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
People typically use them to keep the house smelling consistently fresh, to replicate the signature scents found in hotels, spas and luxury retailers, to neutralize odors from pets, cooking or smoke, or to set a specific mood — relaxing, clean, seasonal or otherwise.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 8 June 2026
Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026
Tasks can include smelling dangerously high or low glucose levels, smelling mood swings, anxiety and depression, smelling an impending seizure and many other tasks.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 14 June 2026
Here's your complete guide for how to wash clothes with vinegar to enjoy softer, better-smelling fabrics.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 June 2026
Ahead, an InStyle writer shares nine of the most expensive-smelling perfumes in her collection, and the creators behind each bottle.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 12 June 2026
The bites from screwworms can be quite painful and cause foul-smelling wounds, which attract more flies.
—Judy Stone, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
None of these strategies would work to represent a dog smelling.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Create cohesiveness from room to room A luxury-smelling home isn’t one note repeated everywhere.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
People typically use them to keep the house smelling consistently fresh, to replicate the signature scents found in hotels, spas and luxury retailers, to neutralize odors from pets, cooking or smoke, or to set a specific mood — relaxing, clean, seasonal or otherwise.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelling
Verb
-
Musk and SpaceX have a true nose for money, including sniffing out government infusions and contracts.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
20 June 2026
-
The streamer on June 8 dropped an adorable photo of the real Great Dane puppy, as well as a brief teaser video that shows Scooby-Doo sniffing around in the woods before being picked up by Shaggy.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Odd to be so close without sensing the pain in my body.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 June 2026
-
Researchers trained the sensing system using more than 12,000 data samples collected during 157 cutting motions.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Pests and Disease Sap-sucking insects like thrips, spider mites, aphids, and whiteflies can stunt plant growth or cause severe flower and leaf drop.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
-
Affected babies may show symptoms including constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelid, sluggish pupils, low muscle tone, difficulty sucking and swallowing, weak or altered crying, difficulty breathing, and generalized weakness.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Typically, hantavirus spreads by inhaling particles contaminated with the urine, feces or saliva of wild rodents.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
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Take 30 to 40 deep cyclical breaths, inhaling fully into the belly and chest, exhaling without force.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The crowd was feeling good, if a bit sweaty — and a little in disbelief at the sight of a fighting ring next to one of the most hallowed symbols of American democracy.—
Liam Bowman,
Washington Post,
15 June 2026
-
Plenty of restaurants in New York are preposterously expensive, and Marcel is, too—a cocktail alone can run more than forty bucks—but the restaurant pulls off the much rarer trick of feeling actually rich.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Another patient, David Nurieli, described seeing elderly individuals forced to walk or be carried up three flights of stairs when the elevator fails.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
Those concerns were amplified by Marsch only seeing his players every few months before the World Cup.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Considering his impact on electronic music, hearing Vince say that his original musical influence was acoustic guitar-and-vocal folk is a little unexpected, but not far-fetched.—
Lily Moayeri,
SPIN,
17 June 2026
-
For most of my life, building those relationships and hearing those stories has been a crucial part of my education.—
Cody Two Bears,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Now, more people are noticing and appreciating it.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
13 June 2026
-
Cycle syncing is most useful as a framework for noticing your own patterns rather than a strict rulebook.—
Allison Palmer
Updated June 13,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelling. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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