as in sniffing
to become aware of by means of the sense organs in the nose
whiffed the pot of chili on the stove and announced that he was staying for dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whiffing
After whiffing during his first at bat, Hundley hit a triple in the fourth inning, a double off the left field wall in the scoreless sixth, a homer (his 16th of the season) in the eighth and a single in the 11th.
—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
By punting on draft picks, the Rams are taking the possibility of whiffing on them out of the equation.
—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
And Jude isn’t above including a mocking slow-motion shot of a spoiled French boy totally whiffing a soccer kick.
—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
The Mets struggled against right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski, whiffing on his four-seam fastball and his splitter.
—
Abbey Mastracco,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
The Slovenian star shook his head in disdain after whiffing on a 3-point attempt from the top of the key, the ball falling well short of the rim.
—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
The arrival of the 31-year-old on a $26 million, two-year deal could be viewed as a penalty for whiffing on Kris Jenkins.
—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
After whiffing nine batters in his first start of the season, the UTSA transfer has now collected double-digit strikeouts in three consecutive outings.
—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Mar. 2026
Johnson’s been whiffing on the open stuff in a make-or-miss league.
—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
2 Mar. 2026
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
By punting on draft picks, the Rams are taking the possibility of whiffing on them out of the equation.
—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
And Jude isn’t above including a mocking slow-motion shot of a spoiled French boy totally whiffing a soccer kick.
—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
The Mets struggled against right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski, whiffing on his four-seam fastball and his splitter.
—
Abbey Mastracco,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
The Slovenian star shook his head in disdain after whiffing on a 3-point attempt from the top of the key, the ball falling well short of the rim.
—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
The arrival of the 31-year-old on a $26 million, two-year deal could be viewed as a penalty for whiffing on Kris Jenkins.
—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
After whiffing nine batters in his first start of the season, the UTSA transfer has now collected double-digit strikeouts in three consecutive outings.
—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Mar. 2026
Johnson’s been whiffing on the open stuff in a make-or-miss league.
—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiffing
Verb
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Musk and SpaceX have a true nose for money, including sniffing out government infusions and contracts.
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The streamer on June 8 dropped an adorable photo of the real Great Dane puppy, as well as a brief teaser video that shows Scooby-Doo sniffing around in the woods before being picked up by Shaggy.
Verb
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Tough and compact, standing at 4 feet tall, these gorgeous roses ensure a sweet-smelling and visually appealing presence.
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Dust mites and humidity can also lead to a musty-smelling mattress.
Verb
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Typically, hantavirus spreads by inhaling particles contaminated with the urine, feces or saliva of wild rodents.
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Take 30 to 40 deep cyclical breaths, inhaling fully into the belly and chest, exhaling without force.
Cite this Entry
“Whiffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiffing. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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