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
Spot cleaning helps keep your pillow looking and smelling fresh between full washes.
—
Anyssa Roberts, The Spruce, 26 Jan. 2026
As with baking soda, this technique not only facilitates hair removal but also leaves carpets smelling fresh and clean.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
But Bea and Twila don’t have time to think about this, as Twila starts smelling smoke.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
Keep it Fresh There are other ways to keep your refrigerator smelling fresh than an unsightly box of baking soda.
—Kristin Corpuz, Architectural Digest, 16 Jan. 2026
With additional notes of nutmeg oil, coriander, and musk the scent profile is rich and understated—it’ll make a whispering statement without smelling like everyone else in the room.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
The waiting room is already over-flowing with bloodied, weary, apparently horrifically smelling patients.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
This typically includes sensory testing, such as tasting and smelling products over time, and chemical tests that track changes like oxidation or moisture loss.
—Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 8 Jan. 2026
Indeed, most people don’t relish hearing (and smelling) other biological processes, such as burps and farts.
—Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
Anyssa Roberts, The Spruce, 26 Jan. 2026
As with baking soda, this technique not only facilitates hair removal but also leaves carpets smelling fresh and clean.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
But Bea and Twila don’t have time to think about this, as Twila starts smelling smoke.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
Keep it Fresh There are other ways to keep your refrigerator smelling fresh than an unsightly box of baking soda.
—Kristin Corpuz, Architectural Digest, 16 Jan. 2026
With additional notes of nutmeg oil, coriander, and musk the scent profile is rich and understated—it’ll make a whispering statement without smelling like everyone else in the room.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
The waiting room is already over-flowing with bloodied, weary, apparently horrifically smelling patients.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
This typically includes sensory testing, such as tasting and smelling products over time, and chemical tests that track changes like oxidation or moisture loss.
—Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 8 Jan. 2026
Indeed, most people don’t relish hearing (and smelling) other biological processes, such as burps and farts.
—Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelling
Verb
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The study found that the dog-owning group of mice spent more time sniffing other mice and approaching trapped cagemates.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026
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One worker joined the FBI and made a career in counterintelligence, sniffing out Chinese spies.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Inserting a plug into an outlet, for instance, requires sensing resistance and alignment that vision alone cannot detect reliably.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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If the first moves of your day are poorly aligned, rushed or extreme — such as bending forward deeply to touch your toes — your nervous system, sensing spinal rigidity, may react with acute protective muscle tension as a guarding mechanism.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With the sexy newcomer Heated Rivalry now sucking up all the romance-TV oxygen, Part 1 of Bridgerton Season Four arrived last week with something to prove.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
2 Feb. 2026
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Aphids are tiny sap-sucking pests that quickly damage houseplants.—
Jon VanZile,
The Spruce,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nearly all the health damage from smoking comes from inhaling smoke produced by burning tobacco, not from nicotine itself.—
Kevin Bardosh,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Jan. 2026
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Keep peppermint oil away from babies and young children, as inhaling the menthol in the oil may cause serious side effects for them.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Designers also recommend balancing florals with natural materials, such as wood cutting boards, stone countertops, or ceramic accessories, which ground the look and prevent it from feeling too sweet.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
1 Feb. 2026
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The waterproof design and textured soles help with stability on icy patches and wet pavement, while the chunky platform gives a subtle lift without feeling bulky.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Peskoe and others are watching court challenges to the DOE emergency orders closely, seeing if courts weigh in on this use of emergency powers to decide what kinds of energy should remain on the grid longer.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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Instead, even with its Gemini app now seeing more than 750 million monthly active users (MAUs), 100 million more than last quarter, and Gemini, the company's large language model, processing over 10 billion tokens per minute, Search usage broke a quarterly record.—
,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Even in hockey – a sport that is extremely popular around the world – there are terms used by commentators or pundits that you might not be accustomed to hearing if not a regular to the sport.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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Some diners would rather eat later but believe restaurants get noisier as the evening goes on, preventing them from hearing their tablemates and communicating with wait staff.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tarzan This late-episode highlight just has a very funny conceit (Tarzan breaks up with Jane after noticing several red flags) paired with a host who has the benefit of having played this character before in a big-budget film.—
Charu Sinha,
Vulture,
1 Feb. 2026
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Regulars started noticing that certain locations had quietly changed or removed their fries.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelling. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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