sniffed; sniffing; sniffs
1
a
: to inhale through the nose especially for smelling
sniffed at the flowers
b
: to take air into the nose in short audible breaths
She sniffed and wiped her nose.
2
: to show or express disdain or scorn
1
2
: to utter contemptuously
3
: to recognize or detect (something) by or as if by smelling
—usually used with out
sniff out trouble
Synonyms
Examples of sniff in a Sentence
Verb
She sniffed and wiped her nose with a tissue.
She put perfume on her wrist and sniffed it.
The dog sniffed the carpet.
He held the flower up to his nose and sniffed.
“I guess you don't need my help,” she sniffed.
Noun
She said that she felt fine, but her sniffs and coughs told a different story.
“I refuse to answer that question,” she said with a sniff.
He wanted to avoid the slightest sniff of a scandal.
There was still a sniff of hope left for the team.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sara Beth Bolin, USA TODAY, 24 June 2024
Geordie sniffed it out the next day when Miss Scott and Larry couldn’t look at each other in the office.
—Mandi Bierly, TVLine, 16 June 2024
Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2020
Bedrooms are stripped back and country comfy without leaning too heavily into the more ubiquitous country-pile aesthetic—creamy oatmeals, subdued greens and pinks and yellows, not a sniff of chintz.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for sniff 
Verb
Our deal hunters sniffed out massive savings on big-ticket items, including a Dyson vacuum cleaner that’s $100 off.
—Sara Beth Bolin, USA TODAY, 24 June 2024
Geordie sniffed it out the next day when Miss Scott and Larry couldn’t look at each other in the office.
—Mandi Bierly, TVLine, 16 June 2024
Noun
The notion that American withdrawal from global leadership is the real culprit behind these failures—that the world would be a better place if the United States just leaned in more—doesn’t pass the sniff test.
—Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2020
Bedrooms are stripped back and country comfy without leaning too heavily into the more ubiquitous country-pile aesthetic—creamy oatmeals, subdued greens and pinks and yellows, not a sniff of chintz.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for sniff
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sniff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sniff
Cite this Entry
“Sniff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sniff. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sniff
1 of 2 verb1
: to draw air into the nose in short breaths loud enough to be heard
sniffed at the cheese
2
: to show or express scorn
sniffed at simple jobs
3
: to smell or inhale by taking short breaths
sniff perfume
4
: to detect by or as if by smelling
sniff out trouble
sniffer
noun
sniff
2 of 2 noun1
: the act or sound of sniffing
2
: an odor or amount sniffed
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