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 officer smelled booze on his breath, according to a police report.
—
Mason Leib, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Renee smelled of vodka and body odor, which reflected poorly on the entire office.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Poking at the dirt outside of the home with a sharp metal rod soldered to a handle, Tello wiggled the rod around, pulled it out, and smelled it.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 27 Feb. 2026
And in January, the other man was arrested again, also on the Red Line, after officers smelled marijuana on a train car near 87th Street and arrested him for cannabis possession.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Sure enough, the wine smelled like a grove of cedars and carried hints of mushrooms, black earth, and the sea.
—Alex Halberstadt, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
While authorities noted in the arrest report that Falcinelli smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech and blurry eyes, there was no mention of a sobriety test being administered.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
Annette Caragiulo, whose lived there since the 1970s, said she's never smelled anything like it.
—Kristie Keleshian, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2026
Everything suddenly smelled like smoke.
—Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 20 Feb. 2026
Mason Leib, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Renee smelled of vodka and body odor, which reflected poorly on the entire office.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Poking at the dirt outside of the home with a sharp metal rod soldered to a handle, Tello wiggled the rod around, pulled it out, and smelled it.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 27 Feb. 2026
And in January, the other man was arrested again, also on the Red Line, after officers smelled marijuana on a train car near 87th Street and arrested him for cannabis possession.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Sure enough, the wine smelled like a grove of cedars and carried hints of mushrooms, black earth, and the sea.
—Alex Halberstadt, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
While authorities noted in the arrest report that Falcinelli smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech and blurry eyes, there was no mention of a sobriety test being administered.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
Annette Caragiulo, whose lived there since the 1970s, said she's never smelled anything like it.
—Kristie Keleshian, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2026
Everything suddenly smelled like smoke.
—Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelled
Verb
-
While police have not determined how long the girls had been buried at that location, the man whose dog sniffed them out told a local television station that the mound of dirt under which one of the bodies was found had been there at least a week.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
5 Mar. 2026
-
On the next play, Patriots rookie Craig Woodson sniffed out a trick play and dropped the ball carrier on an end around for a loss of five.—
February 9,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Mizban was born in Iran, but came to the United States at age 10 in the mid-1970s as her family sensed the unraveling of the Shah's government and the end of political freedoms and education for women and girls.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
-
But during his first game of the 2017-18 season, against Burton Albion in the League Cup, Carrick suddenly sensed his body buckling.—
Michael Walker,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The brutal infection literally sucked the life out of him, Thelma Wood said.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
-
More than a dozen countries have been sucked into the fray and the conflict has stoked fears of an inflation crisis.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Legionella can be carried in water vapor or mist and can cause illness if inhaled.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Those guardrails are in place because air pollutants that come from the generators, like nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and ‘fine particulate matter’ are known to cause lung and heart health issues when inhaled.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Though the conversation didn't quite reach any actionable solutions beyond what has been discussed as already in progress, like Rawls' work, there was one clear message potently felt across the room — one of urgency.—
Monisha Ravisetti,
Space.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
When Koy was moving up the comedy ranks under his real name Joseph Glenn Herbert, the thought of calling himself a comedian felt like a pipe dream.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ruggeri says that, in comparison to saw palmetto, which gets far more attention.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
19 Feb. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
In their mostly white school district, Black students routinely heard racial slurs.—
Collin Binkley,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
According to police dispatch audio obtained by Fox News Digital, approximately 10 gunshots were heard near Rihanna’s residence in Beverly Hills.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez , Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The shift has reinforced the quiet confidence that coaches and observers have long noticed in Tien.—
Douglas Robson,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Visitors who walk through the halls of Ward Parkway Mall have noticed empty storefronts being turned into displays showcasing local artwork.—
Joseph Hernandez
March 5,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelled. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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