as in scent
the quality of a thing that makes it perceptible to the sense organs in the nose
we took a good sniff of the sauce, trying to guess its ingredients
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sniff
Briauna Brown, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
Inside the stables, the family’s other two horses greeted Troy with affectionate sniffs, snuggles and neighs.
—Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 31 May 2026
The Pelicans just played a season with their current core and won 26 games, putting them miles away from even sniffing postseason play.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sniff
Noun
Tarrant County Sheriff's Office When K-9 Racket and his handler arrived at the scene, Racket performed a free air sniff of the vehicle and signaled a positive alert to the deputies for the presence of drugs.
—Briauna Brown, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
Inside the stables, the family’s other two horses greeted Troy with affectionate sniffs, snuggles and neighs.
—Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
The Thunder sniffed their shot as the first team to return to consecutive finals since Kerr’s Warriors.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 31 May 2026
The Pelicans just played a season with their current core and won 26 games, putting them miles away from even sniffing postseason play.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sniff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sniff
Noun
-
The music floats into the night, mingling with the scent of the food trucks still serving here and there.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
-
The Luxury Collection sunscreens feature a coconut-mango scent with skin-nourishing antioxidants.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
None of these strategies would work to represent a dog smelling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
Worn Washcloths or Towels Go through all your linens in the bathroom, and discard any that are old, stained, tattered, or smell weird.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Cooking scallions low and slow draws out their aroma, which infuses the oil that becomes part of the sauce for this dish.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 June 2026
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Where to Eat and Drink Breakfast Follow the wafting aroma of fresh bread to Kirchhoff’s Bakery, a downtown institution since 1873.—
Matt Kirouac,
Midwest Living,
7 June 2026
Verb
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The volatile organic compound can cause eye and skin irrigation as well as coughing, wheezing, headache or shortness of breath if inhaled.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
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Infection occurs when people inhale particles from the urine, feces or saliva of infected mice and rats.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sniff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sniff. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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