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
Heated mop washing and drying For even more hygienic and clean-smelling mops, look for a dock with both heated mop washing and heated drying.
—
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Fences are cool and all, but wouldn’t a green shrub with lovely-smelling flowers be more appealing?
—Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 15 Mar. 2026
Clean The Washing Machine Baking soda also helps keep your washing machine smelling fresh.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
Simple Daily and Weekly Bathroom Cleaning Checklists Maintaining a fresh-smelling bathroom comes down to small, daily, and weekly cleaning habits, Ford says.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 15 Mar. 2026
Besides smelling like a summer dream that makes all my stress and anxiety disappear, this scent lasts an impressive 10-plus hours on the skin.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 14 Mar. 2026
The perfect partner for the Spray-To-Wipe is the new All Over Deodorant, a whole-body natural deodorant that genuinely stops you from smelling.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Lots of people across the Chicago area complained about smelling smoke in the air on Thursday, and there was a perfectly good explanation.
—Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Especially when that includes boarding a Christmastime caboose brimming with holiday decor, smelling hot cocoa wafting through the cars, and enjoying plenty of picturesque views.
—Perri Ormont Blumberg Fox News, Fox News, 26 Dec. 2024
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Fences are cool and all, but wouldn’t a green shrub with lovely-smelling flowers be more appealing?
—Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 15 Mar. 2026
Clean The Washing Machine Baking soda also helps keep your washing machine smelling fresh.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
Simple Daily and Weekly Bathroom Cleaning Checklists Maintaining a fresh-smelling bathroom comes down to small, daily, and weekly cleaning habits, Ford says.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 15 Mar. 2026
Besides smelling like a summer dream that makes all my stress and anxiety disappear, this scent lasts an impressive 10-plus hours on the skin.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 14 Mar. 2026
The perfect partner for the Spray-To-Wipe is the new All Over Deodorant, a whole-body natural deodorant that genuinely stops you from smelling.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Lots of people across the Chicago area complained about smelling smoke in the air on Thursday, and there was a perfectly good explanation.
—Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Especially when that includes boarding a Christmastime caboose brimming with holiday decor, smelling hot cocoa wafting through the cars, and enjoying plenty of picturesque views.
—Perri Ormont Blumberg Fox News, Fox News, 26 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelling
Verb
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The checkpoint ahead crawls forward as officers slide mirrors beneath cars and canines weave through the line, sniffing for explosives.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Bomb-sniffing dogs were at the scene.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The device is a low-power millimeter-wave radar sensor that could enhance vehicle sensing accuracy by providing in-vehicle systems with critical data on surrounding traffic.—
Etiido Uko
March 14,
New Atlas,
14 Mar. 2026
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Mobix Labs’ products and systems also support aerospace applications, communications infrastructure, industrial monitoring, and emerging autonomous sensing technologies.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In pre-Christian Ireland, sucking breasts was a way of showing subjugation to a king and the cutting out of Old Croghan Man’s nipples is, historians believe, an indication that he had been thus stripped of his claims to kingship.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
17 Mar. 2026
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Just sucking on an ibuprofen caplet can lead to rapid kidney failure and death.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Humans are evolutionarily designed for hunting and gathering — not for lifting 50-pound boxes for eight hours straight or inhaling toxic dust in an industrial sanding booth.—
Vivek Ranadive,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
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Wearing a protective mask to avoid inhaling the dust, fill a hand-crank or push rotary spreader with pelletized lime.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Lead with that part of the experience to connect with what young people are feeling in the moment.—
Alexis Redding,
CNBC,
15 Mar. 2026
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But others reported feeling significant to severe pain and being unable to sleep, including two women who had given birth by cesarian section, per the court document.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Offensively, the Cowboys were clearly comfortable seeing TCU’s style of defense for a third time.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
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Phillips also played a complete season in 2025 after seeing two separate significant injuries end his seasons in 2023 (Achilles) and 2024 (ACL).—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Their only requisite, besides location, was a top-floor unit, so there’d be no risk of hearing neighbors above.—
Carisa Crawford Chappell,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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After hearing their parents lay it out, none of the Smith kids — Lilly, Eli, Maggie, Brice, Wilson or Jesse — flinched at the idea of helping their baby sister.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With Me is led by Juan Naula, who after moving to Los Angeles and noticing trash in public spaces, used social media to get the word out and invite people to clean up their neighborhoods.—
Staff report,
Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
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The car was eventually transferred to a tow yard, where an employee called police after noticing a foul smell emanating from the vehicle.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelling. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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