snuff

verb

Definition of snuffnext
1
as in to sniff
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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2
as in to assassinate
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 snuff For one, the Panthers’ pass-blocking hasn’t been up to snuff through four games — quarterback Bryce Young is among the most pressured quarterbacks in the league. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2026 Had the Razorbacks snuffed out the QB sweep, Arkansas would have gotten the ball back with the chance to cut it to a one-score game. — Connor Riley, AJC.com, 19 Sep. 2026 Then Chairman Kevin Warsh delivered a surprise — a decidedly hawkish message that opened the door to additional rate hikes as the central bank looks to snuff out stubbornly high inflation. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 Kostoulas’ solo effort in the first half opened the floodgates and earning a 70th-minute penalty, converted by Pascal Gross to stretch the lead to 3-0, snuffed out any chance of a Coventry comeback. — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for snuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snuff
  1. sniff
  2. assassinate
  3. smell
  4. murder
  5. inhale
  6. slay
  7. execute
  8. kill
Verb
  • 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
  • The buck walked up to the dripper, sniffed it for a moment, and moved on.
    — Colin Moore, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of sniff
Verb
  • Riehle made it to Broadway in 1986 with a role in the Emily Mann drama Execution of Justice, which centered on the trial of Dan White, who assassinated San Francisco mayor George Moscone and city supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978.
    — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Earlier that year, King had been assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of assassinate
Verb
  • His creator, an unnamed basket-weaver (Peter Dinklage), braided him as a mate for a lonely virgin, a fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who stomps around her rustic village smelling like sushi and tossing her head back in an Eliza Doolittle guffaw.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Officials said hunters should watch for signs of infection, including visible maggots in wounds, foul-smelling injuries and animals that appear weak or distressed.
    — Kierra Frazier, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of smell
Verb
  • Peltola, during a candidate forum Friday, became emotional speaking about the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people and said additional law enforcement resources are needed.
    — Becky Bohrer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Peltola, during a candidate forum Friday, became emotional speaking about the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people and said additional law enforcement resources are needed.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of murder
Verb
  • Slice off a wedge of cornbread, then, and inhale the toasty steam that rises up.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 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
Definition of inhale
Verb
  • The kind of beast Riley and the Trojans have struggled to slay.
    — Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • My Morning Jacket has now earned their own history in the room, with a total of 18 shows played and slayed.
    — Benjy Eisen, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of slay
Verb
  • The high court found that the administration had not demonstrated that the president was authorized to use regular military forces to execute federal laws or that those forces were unable to carry out the mission.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Through it all, each member of the 11-person cast plays an instrument — or two or three or four — while toggling between characters, belting lyrics and executing Chi-San Howard’s enthralling choreography.
    — Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of execute
Verb
  • Support for the populist had eroded since 16 people were killed in 2024 when a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad.
    — JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The military campaign that ensued has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of kill

Phrases Containing snuff

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snuck up
snuff
snuffbox
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Cite this Entry

“Snuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snuff. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on snuff

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about snuff

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