1
2
as in senses
to have a vague awareness of
I smell something fishy about this situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in scents
the quality of a thing that makes it perceptible to the sense organs in the nose
the smell of vanilla is supposed to be very soothing
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in splashes
a very small amount
the pie has barely a smell of ginger, but lots of cinnamon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in auras
a special quality or impression associated with something
a law firm with a mahogany-lined boardroom that has the discernible smell of money and power
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smells
Jeff Pearlman, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
That’s not to say that every political event that smells like a coup is, in fact, a coup.
—John Joseph Chin, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
For example, Dossier's Ambrey Safron smells just like Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum and costs less than $50—enough said.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 9 Oct. 2025
The whole house smells of fried cheese, or something wonderful has been cooked around here.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Now everybody smells what The Rock is cooking – even Oscar.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
Here, grizzlies don’t equate people with food—as opposed to populated areas where alluring smells forge a connection—and have learned to tolerate humans, thanks to decades of naturalists adopting nonthreatening practices.
—Susan Portnoy, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
And for the guy who always smells good, this travel-friendly four-pack of solid colognes in classic scents like Sandalwood and Vetiver gives him options depending on his mood or the occasion.
—Tabitha Britt, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2025
They’re also exposed to lots of new sights, sounds, and smells that can overwhelm them.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Jeff Pearlman, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
Make sure the sweet smells of the holiday season, and the deals that come ahead of them, aren’t masked by pesky pet odors with the Cumrige Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box, which is almost half price right now as part of Walmart’s early holiday deals sales in October.
—Christine Persaud, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025
When combined with machine-learning algorithms, these sensors can learn to recognize patterns from several gases at once, rather than detecting just one chemical at a time – much like how a human nose can tell different smells apart.
—Bohong Zhang, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025
Yankee Candle Sugared Cinnamon Apple Scented Candle Fill your home with the smells of the season and grab this delightful Yankee Candle while it’s marked down.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 8 Oct. 2025
For especially tough smells, Ek said to apply a paste of baking soda and water.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Oct. 2025
Discounts apply to the brand’s cult-fave smells, like Japanese Cherry Blossom and A Thousand Wishes, as well as its seasonal scents, such as Vanilla Bean Noel and Winter Candy Apple.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 7 Oct. 2025
Every Thursday, there is a melting pot of smells wafting to and fro from downtown Nashville as food trucks line Deaderick Street to feed hungry Nashvillians.
—Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Oct. 2025
Over the following three weeks, dogs learn the sights, smells and rhythms of their new home, meeting new human and animal companions and discovering their new walking routes, food and sleeping spots.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
The air smells of rust and salt.
—Jeff Pearlman, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
That’s not to say that every political event that smells like a coup is, in fact, a coup.
—John Joseph Chin, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
For example, Dossier's Ambrey Safron smells just like Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum and costs less than $50—enough said.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 9 Oct. 2025
The whole house smells of fried cheese, or something wonderful has been cooked around here.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Now everybody smells what The Rock is cooking – even Oscar.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
Here, grizzlies don’t equate people with food—as opposed to populated areas where alluring smells forge a connection—and have learned to tolerate humans, thanks to decades of naturalists adopting nonthreatening practices.
—Susan Portnoy, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
And for the guy who always smells good, this travel-friendly four-pack of solid colognes in classic scents like Sandalwood and Vetiver gives him options depending on his mood or the occasion.
—Tabitha Britt, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2025
They’re also exposed to lots of new sights, sounds, and smells that can overwhelm them.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
Tupac loved the arcade — the smells, the sounds, the lights.
—Jeff Pearlman, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
Make sure the sweet smells of the holiday season, and the deals that come ahead of them, aren’t masked by pesky pet odors with the Cumrige Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box, which is almost half price right now as part of Walmart’s early holiday deals sales in October.
—Christine Persaud, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025
When combined with machine-learning algorithms, these sensors can learn to recognize patterns from several gases at once, rather than detecting just one chemical at a time – much like how a human nose can tell different smells apart.
—Bohong Zhang, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025
Yankee Candle Sugared Cinnamon Apple Scented Candle Fill your home with the smells of the season and grab this delightful Yankee Candle while it’s marked down.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 8 Oct. 2025
For especially tough smells, Ek said to apply a paste of baking soda and water.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Oct. 2025
Discounts apply to the brand’s cult-fave smells, like Japanese Cherry Blossom and A Thousand Wishes, as well as its seasonal scents, such as Vanilla Bean Noel and Winter Candy Apple.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 7 Oct. 2025
Every Thursday, there is a melting pot of smells wafting to and fro from downtown Nashville as food trucks line Deaderick Street to feed hungry Nashvillians.
—Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Oct. 2025
Over the following three weeks, dogs learn the sights, smells and rhythms of their new home, meeting new human and animal companions and discovering their new walking routes, food and sleeping spots.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smells
Verb
-
Lina sniffs, stamps her feet in the snow to make her own set of giant prints to frighten this creature.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
8 Oct. 2025
-
On play two, Moore sniffs out the reverse from deep alignment, takes a sharp angle to the ball and makes the open-field stop.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
O'Donnell walks over to his black horse Duke who senses the unsettled energy coming from the captain.—
Bryan West,
Nashville Tennessean,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The Freudian in me senses an attachment disorder.—
Jane Kamensky,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Getting left out of things sucks.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Oct. 2025
-
If the prompt sucks, the output sucks.—
Alma Rota,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
DeRose-Broeckert also told NDA that both tree sap and buck forehead gland secretions produce strong, unique scents.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
16 Oct. 2025
-
These self-care scents are packed with oil aromatherapy standouts like cedar, orange, and pine to calm the senses.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Those bright white tees seem to be absolute stain magnets attracting coffee drips, spaghetti sauce spots, and salad dressing splashes.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Inventive prop makers undoubtedly experimented with other stand-ins for blood over the centuries, like splashes of red paint.—
Mark Hay,
Popular Science,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
People read auras and palms, too.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The sleek clog silhouette feels trend-forward yet timeless, while the oversized buckle adds just the right amount of polish.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
-
There is a specific kind of yearning involved in having a crush, one that feels intense, yet is for the most part harmless fun; still, as people grow older the frequency of such infatuations often decreases.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Expect aromas of red and black fruits with touches of bell pepper, jalapeño, and graphite, followed by flavors of raspberries, blackberries, red plums, and dark cherries, along with earthy notes.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
16 Oct. 2025
-
With my sight obscured, the aromas practically bounce out of the glass and into my nostrils.—
Aislyn Greene,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smells.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smells. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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