Thesaurus results for SNIFFING

sniffing

verb

present participle of sniff

as in smelling

to become aware of by means of the sense organs in the nose a curious cat sniffing the flowers in the garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 sniffing While exploring the neighborhood, his dog, Betty, took off and sprinted through the open door of an empty house, sniffing around yet completely at ease. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026 Eventually, Bird’s film — with a script co-written by Matthew Robbins — gets to the meat of the action when Venus’ extremely complicated life runs smack into Ray and his knack for sniffing out bad guys. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2026 In the doorframe was the manager, sniffing around, suspicions aroused. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 Alaniz then detained her for a drug-sniffing dog, which alerted to the vehicle. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026 And security inside Alice Tully Hall, where the film premiered, was certainly tight—metal detectors, physical checks of bags, K9 bomb-sniffing dogs. — Hannah Seligson, Vanity Fair, 28 Sep. 2026 Dogs and cats may be triggered by this distinctive smell and show unusual behavior when skunks are nearby, such as sniffing or pawing the dirt around the burrow or becoming more protective by growling or hovering near the entrance. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 24 Sep. 2026 Though Leighton appears in front of their home at the end of the episode, the Dessens don’t realize that the MacNamara of their analog world has been sniffing around, too. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026 Vocal tics may range from throat clearing and sniffing to repeating words or sounds. — Michael Okun, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sniffing

Verb

This extends the concept beyond smelling an object remotely toward recreating aspects of a drinking experience.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
But the idea of smelling like Dove soap didn’t appeal to me right off the bat.

— James Manso, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of smelling

Verb

Over time, inhaling these irritants can trigger chronic airway inflammation, irreversible lung tissue scarring, and obstructive pulmonary conditions.

— Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Without a mask, without fear of needing lung implants, without having to worry about inhaling a soupçon of strychnine or similar industrial pollutants.

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 21 Oct. 2026