variants
or chiefly British smelt
1
2
as in sensed
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 smelled
His home office is a narrow two-bedroom near an asphalt processing plant and a superfund site, both of which can be smelled with the windows open on a warm day.
—
Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
That’s sort of what this experience felt like — and, to be fair, the scholarly Zipper Hall at the Colburn School of Music has likely never smelled more of pot.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
My pits smelled like Campbell’s chicken soup.
—Laura Bradley, Vanity Fair, 18 May 2026
But Wednesday night, they were handed a harsh lesson from a true contender — one that smelled blood against a team that cowered and played scared to death from the 20-minute mark on.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 14 May 2026
The air smelled faintly of lunch and feet.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Matamala had smelled smoke in the air in the early evening; within five hours, flames had reached the house.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
These blooms are loved by babies, smelled by furry friends and bring out suburban neighbors to the city, including Kathy Cooper from Hopkins.
—Marielle Mohs, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
She was reported to have been back at work the next day in clothes that smelled of smoke.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 25 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
That’s sort of what this experience felt like — and, to be fair, the scholarly Zipper Hall at the Colburn School of Music has likely never smelled more of pot.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
My pits smelled like Campbell’s chicken soup.
—Laura Bradley, Vanity Fair, 18 May 2026
But Wednesday night, they were handed a harsh lesson from a true contender — one that smelled blood against a team that cowered and played scared to death from the 20-minute mark on.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 14 May 2026
The air smelled faintly of lunch and feet.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Matamala had smelled smoke in the air in the early evening; within five hours, flames had reached the house.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
These blooms are loved by babies, smelled by furry friends and bring out suburban neighbors to the city, including Kathy Cooper from Hopkins.
—Marielle Mohs, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
She was reported to have been back at work the next day in clothes that smelled of smoke.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelled
Verb
-
Technically, that wasn’t the very last image — the wormhole sucked up the whole theater, spit out a snow globe, and Benny, Colbert’s pet dog, sniffed the souvenir before being ushered onward by his owner — but when the lights went out on Broadway, that was that.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 May 2026
-
On Monday, police officers were taking photos of the scene as a police dog sniffed the front yard of the home where Elijah Mayo died.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
But as those stars retired and younger drivers arrived, Hamlin sensed something missing.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
When softball season resumed, head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez sensed that the sport that had once consumed so much of Grant’s emotional oxygen suddenly felt lighter in her arms.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The deficit sucked much of the policymaking air out of the Capitol.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
-
Instead, the collapse results in a faint supernova with significant fallback, in which the heavier elements from the star’s core, such as oxygen, are sucked back past the event horizon and trapped in the black hole beneath.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Rather than burn tobacco, e-cigarettes heat up a liquid consisting of nicotine, flavorings and additives that are inhaled as vapor.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
-
They’re spread primarily when droppings, urine or saliva get kicked into the air and inhaled — such as when sweeping up mouse droppings.—
Allison Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
What once felt unthinkable or despicable gradually becomes normal.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
Also, how the diners felt a few shades more bohemian than most Mayfair crowds.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
Moving a blade back and forth to try to saw biscuits apart will make their layers stick (and ruin the rise).—
Ella Quittner,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Ruggeri says that, in comparison to saw palmetto, which gets far more attention.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The interaction was captured on camera, and Crow-Armstrong could be heard very clearly.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
Murdaugh's defense claimed that Hill influenced the verdict through remarks heard by some jurors during the trial, including in one instance to watch Murdaugh's body language during his testimony, according to court filings.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Kuo showed off her ice-queen garb and noticed a friend in the corner.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
DeLuz noticed the Democrats becoming more combative, taking shots at Becerra during the last two debates as the former state attorney general is now considered the party's frontrunner.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelled. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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