as in scents
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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Recent Examples of sniffs
Ganesh Marín, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025
From pet stores to hardware stores (with aisles as long as some street blocks), your dog will get in plenty of sniffs, pets, and some light exercise.
—Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
The picture shows them on the floor together with Comet fully exposing his belly, a sign of trust, while Dottie sniffs him.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Lina sniffs, stamps her feet in the snow to make her own set of giant prints to frighten this creature.
—Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
On play two, Moore sniffs out the reverse from deep alignment, takes a sharp angle to the ball and makes the open-field stop.
—Dane Brugler, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
In one recent video, Stella sniffs Mia’s infant daughter and then presses the button for her name.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
Just a few kilometers away, a black bear sniffs and studies the device tethering it to a tree.
—Ganesh Marín, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025
From pet stores to hardware stores (with aisles as long as some street blocks), your dog will get in plenty of sniffs, pets, and some light exercise.
—Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
In the clip, an elderly woman stands holding a bowl and a spoon beside a massive brown bear that sniffs her feet.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
The picture shows them on the floor together with Comet fully exposing his belly, a sign of trust, while Dottie sniffs him.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Lina sniffs, stamps her feet in the snow to make her own set of giant prints to frighten this creature.
—Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
On play two, Moore sniffs out the reverse from deep alignment, takes a sharp angle to the ball and makes the open-field stop.
—Dane Brugler, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
In one recent video, Stella sniffs Mia’s infant daughter and then presses the button for her name.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sniffs
Noun
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This buttery balm started with a single Vanilla flavor and has since expanded to 10 shades and scents, including cozy Brown Sugar, juicy Cherry, and shimmery Birthday Cake.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
25 Oct. 2025
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At Fairmont Mayakoba’s spa, rest and re-energize with the textures, colors, and scents of ancient Mayan culture.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Leave them overnight for footwear that smells much fresher in the morning.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The sunbaked air smells like creosote.—
Rowan Jacobsen,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Their 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape has aromas of red plum, red raspberry, and crushed violet petals with soft, rounded tannins and flavors of cassis, raspberry, and black plum.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
23 Oct. 2025
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The fruit and its peel can be used to add flavor to drinks or aromas to perfumes.—
Kirstyn Hill,
Health,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sniffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sniffs. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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