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
Talbot wrote in the affidavit that Sweet smelled strongly of alcohol and had slurred speech, bloodshot glassy eyes and impaired memory.
—
Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 5 Jan. 2026
Some of the packages contained traces of a substance that smelled like marijuana.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2026
Core’s vehicle did not have a visible license plate, and officers smelled marijuana which prompted a search of the car, authorities said.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Joshua smelled blood in the water in the fifth round, knocking Paul down twice.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Dec. 2025
The plane smelled like mildew and body odor, and the seats looked threadbare.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
An internal affairs investigation in Jefferson County reveals other law enforcement officers smelled alcohol on Sgt.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 4 Dec. 2025
When speaking with officers, his breath smelled of alcohol and his speech was slurred.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 26 Nov. 2025
The cafeteria smelled the same.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 5 Jan. 2026
Some of the packages contained traces of a substance that smelled like marijuana.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2026
Core’s vehicle did not have a visible license plate, and officers smelled marijuana which prompted a search of the car, authorities said.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Joshua smelled blood in the water in the fifth round, knocking Paul down twice.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Dec. 2025
The plane smelled like mildew and body odor, and the seats looked threadbare.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
An internal affairs investigation in Jefferson County reveals other law enforcement officers smelled alcohol on Sgt.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 4 Dec. 2025
When speaking with officers, his breath smelled of alcohol and his speech was slurred.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 26 Nov. 2025
The cafeteria smelled the same.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelled
Verb
-
Lawrence checked into a play pre-snap, which Broncos middle linebacker Alex Singleton and nickel Ja’Quan McMillian sniffed out.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
23 Dec. 2025
-
The dog followed me outside and sniffed the tires of my truck.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
James, now 4, was born in April 2021, and from the very beginning, Alyssa, 32, and her husband, John, sensed there was something special about him.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
2 Jan. 2026
-
But by the mid-1930s, Soviet leaders sensed that people needed something to take the edge off in the dead of winter, a carnivalesque custom of the sort that Christmas once provided.—
Andrew Fedorov,
The Atlantic,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
James Guimaraes was on mile seven of his last training run for the New York City Marathon when he got sucked into a bidding war.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Woody Allen’s 2007 drama, starring Farrell and Ewan McGregor as two brothers who get sucked into a murder plot, isn’t well liked, and Farrell’s performance is liked even less.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
It is inhaled in powder form, and typically administered using an inhaler device twice a day for five days.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
26 Dec. 2025
-
Outside was given an exclusive first viewing of the special, in which host Cecilia Vega hikes to Base Camp, 17,600 feet, where the air is so thin that every breath feels like it’s inhaled through a straw.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Those who felt the quake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Park hailed the resilience of the community, and how residents organized block by block when there was no roadmap for recovery, and insurance and bureaucratic processes felt impossible to navigate alone.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The trees were cut down, sawed in half, hollowed out and tied back together for the musicians to use.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Aug. 2025
-
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
-
Thousands of people have peacefully made their voices heard.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The Senate Education heard testimony on the bill, indicating lawmakers are serious about the proposal, but the committee has not yet taken a vote.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But when testing the bespoke shots in animals, Grippin noticed that even the placebo shots — which contained mRNA entirely unrelated to the cancer — also activated the immune system to kill tumors.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
-
And it certainly can be noticed, both in its abundance, and in the case of the Warriors’ 129-104 shellacking on Friday night at the hands of the Nuggets in an Emirates Cup group stage matchup, in its absence.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelled. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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