SNUFFING Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

snuffing

verb

present participle of snuff

as in sniffing

to become aware of by means of the sense organs in the nose the dog began barking as soon as she snuffed the scent of squirrel

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in murdering

to put to death deliberately the proprietor of the boarding house had apparently snuffed almost 50 old men before she was caught

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of snuffing What seemed to matter most to Murphy was snuffing out a political star in formation, Bronin. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026 When Rhaenyra learns Helaena jumped to her death at the episode’s conclusion, Rhaenyra shuts the window, snuffing out the last of her compassion for her father’s other children. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 Indeed, snuffing out that insect’s life may have strengthened her sense of belonging. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 Quiet season expected due to El Niño's impacts Forecasts for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season were mostly below-normal due to the storm-snuffing impacts of El Niño. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 July 2026 Holding it all together is the irrepressible Rodri, sweeping up loose balls and snuffing out counter-attacks with a positional awareness few central midfielders match. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 20 July 2026 Another method is to cut off oxygen to the fire by using a snuffing lid, then let the fire burn out naturally. — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 4 July 2026 The lead secured, Switzerland shifted to a five-man midfield out of possession, snuffing out the space and challenging the Algerians to play through it, but Petkovic’s charges struggled to break their opponents down. — Reuters, NBC news, 3 July 2026 The lefty has premium stuff and showed it again Thursday, snuffing out Seattle’s best chance to win the game. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for snuffing

Verb

Dogs can be trained to alert to these odors by sniffing samples of breath, plasma and saliva, and have the capacity to detect cancerous cells early on in the disease’s progression, according to the Kennel Club.

— Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 11 Aug. 2026
And the men’s team in Midtown — led by owner James Dolan, who notoriously left the Liberty for dead — couldn’t come close to sniffing the Larry O’Brien trophy either.

— Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of sniffing

Verb

After the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Murdaugh’s conviction for murdering his wife and son earlier this year -- citing jury tampering by the court clerk in the case -- Judge Debra McCaslin scheduled his retrial for April 5, 2027.

— Janice McDonald, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
He is separately charged in New York state court with murdering Thompson and other counts.

— Dan Mangan, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of murdering

Verb

Public health experts have linked these health effects directly to exposure to contaminated water and air emanating from the pollution crisis, like the toxic foul-smelling gas hydrogen sulfide.

— Samhita M Ilango, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
But a tough guy can’t be walking around smelling like a medicine cabinet.

— Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of smelling

Verb

Utah prosecutors are turning up the heat on Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, arguing that the evidence against him easily meets the standard required to send the case to trial.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
Ferrell instead starred as the villainous mogul Jacobim Mugatu, who attempts to brainwash Derek into assassinating the prime minister of Malaysia.

— Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026

Definition of assassinating

Verb

Another man was taken to Insight Hospital and Medical Center in fair condition after also inhaling water, police said.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
People are thought to get infected by inhaling the amoeba from windblown dust or by getting contaminated soil or water in a wound.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of inhaling

Verb

The Manson murders spawned at least one copycat slaying in February 1970, The New York Times reported.

— Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
Symbolism Historically, dragon-slaying stories portrayed the treasure hoard as the ultimate test of a hero’s character.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026

Definition of slaying

Verb

America’s power grid is executing a quiet, high-tech transformation.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026
The Bills — sporting their new-look, attack-style 3-4 defense — attempted to stay as vanilla as possible while executing their core defensive philosophies.

— Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of executing

Verb

Ukraine launched hundreds of drones across Russia Sunday, killing at least six people in one of Kyiv’s largest aerial attacks of the war.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Thompson’s killing outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel ignited a multistate manhunt that ended five days later, when police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, arrested Mangione in a McDonald’s.

— Kara Scannell, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026