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
The cabin smelled of rot and wood smoke.
—
Nick Dothée, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Bobcats guard Mark Drone dribbled into a high ball screen on the right side of the floor; the team's lead bucket-getter smelled an opportunity for a career-defining moment.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026
To be sure, federal agents are barely a presence in many areas, and most people have never smelled a whiff of tear gas.
—Tim Sullivan, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
Mostly, the barangay smelled like shit.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Officers smelled marijuana in her vehicle and then found the 31-pound cannabis cargo.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
When officers arrived, Clark reportedly smelled of alcohol, TMZ reported Thursday, citing a police source.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
There was a Firebox with visible smoke coming out the top – the nearby area smelled like a campfire.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
The bonito smelled barely of the ocean, clean and faintly salty.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Nick Dothée, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Bobcats guard Mark Drone dribbled into a high ball screen on the right side of the floor; the team's lead bucket-getter smelled an opportunity for a career-defining moment.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026
To be sure, federal agents are barely a presence in many areas, and most people have never smelled a whiff of tear gas.
—Tim Sullivan, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
Mostly, the barangay smelled like shit.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Officers smelled marijuana in her vehicle and then found the 31-pound cannabis cargo.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
When officers arrived, Clark reportedly smelled of alcohol, TMZ reported Thursday, citing a police source.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
There was a Firebox with visible smoke coming out the top – the nearby area smelled like a campfire.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
The bonito smelled barely of the ocean, clean and faintly salty.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelled
Verb
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The tougher hurdle, historically speaking, is that the Cowboys haven’t sniffed a conference championship game in Dak’s time.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Jan. 2026
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McDermott brought legitimacy to an organization that had not sniffed a playoff.—
Gladys Louise Tyler,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The geomagnetic signatures are sensed via magnetometers that utilize the Hall Effect (that detects voltage changes when current carrying semiconductors are exposed to a magnetic field).—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Newsom has capably sensed what Democrats want right now, and is delivering it with a roguish charisma.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The 2025 season began with six quarterbacks who had won Super Bowls, a product of the amount of oxygen that Patrick Mahomes and Brady have sucked out of the position.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
-
On this occasion, Arsenal’s team and fans became equally beset by nerves — a vicious cycle of anxiety that sucked the life (and the noise) out of the Emirates Stadium.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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These tiny water droplets—aerosol plumes, according to commercial cleaning expert Shari Cedar—can be inhaled and cover towels, countertops, and, yes, even your toothbrush after a flush.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
17 Jan. 2026
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Football leans on tradition, providing convenient cover for the NFL’s lenient stance on smelling salts, ammonia crystals that players believe enhance performance when inhaled.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This isn’t a place designed to impress from afar; it’s meant to be felt and experienced.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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But her thickened skin, along with her toughened reputation, felt supple now.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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During the trial, jurors learned about grim Google searches Brian had made after his wife died, including how to saw a body and how to clean blood off of wood floors.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
18 Dec. 2025
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Fanatics shared the moment Tennessee Titans first overall pick, quarterback Cam Ward, saw Brady pop up on the screen to give him some wise words.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Over the summer, the NTSB heard 32 hours of testimony over three days, probing virtually every detail of what could have led to the midair collision.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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In total, roughly 10 shots can be heard.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While working in a technical sales role at Amazon, Hua noticed that this same gap between IQ and EQ was a challenge for many people.—
Kevin Kruse,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Her friends noticed the changes; at a point, her best friend learned of the encounter and, to her surprise, was not curious about her encounters with a celebrity other than to ask if the Sochi incident was consensual.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelled. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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