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 soap smelled like a spa and the Crème de Marfil heated floors and walls kept us all warm when drying off.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2026
And, of course, Democratic politicians and many in the media smelled blood in the water.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
Others smelled a marketing stunt — not that there’s anything wrong with that.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 2 June 2026
The police also found that his room, which had an inoperable heater, smelled overwhelmingly of feces, and his mattress was badly stained, while a deadbolt from outside kept him from exiting, according to the New Zealand Herald.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
And smelled the scent outside Friday morning during her walk.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
My son went outside and immediately smelled something rotten.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
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
My pits smelled like Campbell’s chicken soup.
—Laura Bradley, Vanity Fair, 18 May 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2026
And, of course, Democratic politicians and many in the media smelled blood in the water.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
Others smelled a marketing stunt — not that there’s anything wrong with that.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 2 June 2026
The police also found that his room, which had an inoperable heater, smelled overwhelmingly of feces, and his mattress was badly stained, while a deadbolt from outside kept him from exiting, according to the New Zealand Herald.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
And smelled the scent outside Friday morning during her walk.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
My son went outside and immediately smelled something rotten.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
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
My pits smelled like Campbell’s chicken soup.
—Laura Bradley, Vanity Fair, 18 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelled
Verb
-
On land, cadaver dogs sniffed the shore for any trace of Lynette.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
-
Deputies once again conducted a traffic stop, and a police dog sniffed out illicit substances.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
This remark by a North Carolina journalist in 1848 neatly distilled what many sensed was overtaking American life.—
David S. Reynolds,
The New York Review of Books,
6 June 2026
-
But the immune system has sensed that something is wrong, and spurs a more brute force reaction.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The Knicks, for some reason, look like all the life has been sucked out of them during this second half.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
-
Creators who get sucked into bad deals in the next 18 months will be the ones who mistake Hollywood’s sudden interest for validation.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The microscopic droplets released from a flushing toilet can rise 4 feet in the air and be inhaled or land on bathroom surfaces.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 June 2026
-
One of them inhaled water and became unconscious, NBC 5 and CBS News Chicago reported, citing authorities.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Shaw said frustration with the situation would be particularly acute among Black voters who already felt the party was taking their votes for granted without showing up for them in kind.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
Declan Rice — England/Arsenal A monster athlete who makes his destructive presence felt all over the pitch and can drive his team forward with the ball at his feet, as well as providing world-class set-piece delivery.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
11 June 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
-
Feint claps for the President could be heard on the ABC broadcast, but they were overwhelmed by the Bronx cheer.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
9 June 2026
-
In fact, prior to the announcement, most people hadn’t even heard of it.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
As a teenager, Cody noticed a girl named Rebecca during study hall and, according to Davis, winked at her from across the room.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
The Royals noticed the different demeanor.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelled. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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