sniffed

past tense of sniff
as in smelled
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 sniffed The final three possessions to determine the winner included a screen pass sniffed out by Lawrence, tipped in the air and intercepted. Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Special Narcotics Prosecutor's Office They were flagged as suspicious at a UPS facility in Queens after a K9 sniffed out the drugs. Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 The team also observed fewer responses to urine odors the test cats had previously sniffed after a few months, suggesting that cats have a long-term memory for urine scents. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026 Barkley sniffed the patient all over, and pointed right at her neck, around where the thyroid is located. Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 11 Aug. 2026 There was the guy Daemon stabbed through the ear, and then the smelly killers Gwayne sniffed out, and now Ser Adrian, who took a knife to the throat within seconds of seeing Aemond. Brian Grubb, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026 From July 24 to July 26, pups competed in the Dog On It Scent Work Trials, where dogs sniffed around boxes, underneath chairs and outside to find the scent. Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 28 July 2026 The animal wandered through the house, sniffed a tube of toothpaste in the bathroom and urinated on the floor before leaving. Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2026 The dogs who sniffed became measurably more optimistic and were quicker to approach new and uncertain situations. Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sniffed
Verb
  • During a recent visit by the Tribune, East 100th Street outside Pullman Innovations smelled somewhere between rotten eggs and manure.
    Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Xcel crews told fire officials that a nearby business had used a cleaning solution that smelled like propane gas.
    Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • One of the men inhaled water, and died at the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Rymer, meanwhile, inhaled toxic smoke from the chemical explosion that left him with severe adult-onset asthma.
    Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sniffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sniffed. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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