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
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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
The entire tourism industry takes a hit when its postcard beaches are piled high with foul-smelling seaweed.
—
Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
When Squeeze showed his tongue, that was the reptile’s way of smelling beings around him.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Strong-smelling foods like fish, onions, and kimchi are worth keeping at a distance.
—Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
After allegedly smelling marijuana, FHP said, officers searched the vehicle and found a bag with 31 oxycodone tablets and almost $75,000 in cash.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Residents are not only smelling sewage every day, there is also a high probability that the odors carry toxins that will have long-term health effects.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
The City of Des Plaines said two residents reported smelling gas earlier Tuesday afternoon.
—Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Other carriers, smelling blood, had been circling for nearly a year if not longer, and within hours of the airline's collapse were scrambling to both fly ticketed Spirit customers and add to their schedules in the absence left by Spirit's yellow planes.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 4 May 2026
Best dry shampoo for colored hair A longstanding favorite for decades, this classic dry shampoo formula keeps hair fresh-smelling and easy to style.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
When Squeeze showed his tongue, that was the reptile’s way of smelling beings around him.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Strong-smelling foods like fish, onions, and kimchi are worth keeping at a distance.
—Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
After allegedly smelling marijuana, FHP said, officers searched the vehicle and found a bag with 31 oxycodone tablets and almost $75,000 in cash.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Residents are not only smelling sewage every day, there is also a high probability that the odors carry toxins that will have long-term health effects.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
The City of Des Plaines said two residents reported smelling gas earlier Tuesday afternoon.
—Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Other carriers, smelling blood, had been circling for nearly a year if not longer, and within hours of the airline's collapse were scrambling to both fly ticketed Spirit customers and add to their schedules in the absence left by Spirit's yellow planes.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 4 May 2026
Best dry shampoo for colored hair A longstanding favorite for decades, this classic dry shampoo formula keeps hair fresh-smelling and easy to style.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelling
Verb
-
One minute your dog is sniffing happily through a spring walk.—
Diana Bocco,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
Search the internet and there are coaches and players spotted sniffing the ammonia inhalants before a game, with their instant reactions — a noticeable head jerk or contorted face — going viral.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Native color sensing changes how machines perceive their surroundings by combining geometric structure with visual context.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
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Last week, likely sensing which way the legal wind is blowing, Paramount Skydance’s chief legal officer Makan Delrahim wrote to Bonta to preemptively plead the company’s case.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Verb
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If bitten by a rattlesnake, victims should stay calm, limit movement, call 911 and seek emergency medical attention, avoiding myths such as sucking out the venom or applying ice.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
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Building these rudimentary and temporary platforms—something modern gorillas, orangutans, and chimpanzees still do—would have offered protection from predators and blood-sucking insects.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Transmission risk Andes hantavirus is a rare infection in humans, and the vast majority of cases are acquired via exposure to rodents or inhaling particles from their droppings, urine, or bodily fluids.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
11 May 2026
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Who said what Hantavirus is a rare and deadly virus usually spread by inhaling rodent droppings, but the Andes strain found in the infected passengers can spread through close human contact, the World Health Organization said.—
Peter Weber,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Towns spoke openly about feeling lost in Brown’s system, and Brown called out Towns for poor effort.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
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Each person will then be given a level of risk, and a corresponding action plan, which will include a daily temperature check for 42 days and a daily assessment for any signs of feeling sick.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Hiba imagined seeing snow for the first time and living in a cold state, such as Ohio.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
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His absence led to Ben Hutton and Dylan Coghlan seeing elevated minutes, and both handled them well.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Walker claimed that the police car was traveling at high speed, most likely on a call, and recalled hearing sirens right before the crash.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
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Indeed, hearing about your trips could bring them a lot of joy.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Regular practice is key to noticing benefits.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2026
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At the same time, your confidence grows and people are noticing.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelling. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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