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 Mondon, a 2025 fifth-round pick, opened team drills with the second-team defense by sniffing out a run along the perimeter. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The Pomeranian munchkins in Munchkinland skitter around, sniffing wagging butts. — Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Favorite activities include taking long walks, sniffing in the yard with the siblings, and playing with balls. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 The Wheatland Police Department contacted other authorities and requested bomb-sniffing dogs for a full search of Bear River, Gouker said. — Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026 The Wheatland Police Department has contacted the appropriate authorities and requested bomb-sniffing dogs to conduct a full sweep of the campus. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 When presented with the same urine multiple times, the cats spent less time sniffing it over time. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026 Dogs can be trained to alert to these odors by sniffing samples of breath, plasma and saliva, and have the capacity to detect cancerous cells early on in the disease’s progression, according to the Kennel Club. — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 11 Aug. 2026 And the men’s team in Midtown — led by owner James Dolan, who notoriously left the Liberty for dead — couldn’t come close to sniffing the Larry O’Brien trophy either. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sniffing

Verb

Public health experts have linked these health effects directly to exposure to contaminated water and air emanating from the pollution crisis, like the toxic foul-smelling gas hydrogen sulfide.

— Samhita M Ilango, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
But a tough guy can’t be walking around smelling like a medicine cabinet.

— Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of smelling

Verb

More studies are showing the wide-ranging negative health impacts of inhaling wildfire smoke, which is especially toxic when blazes tear through urban areas and burn up household appliances, batteries and chemicals.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Another man was taken to Insight Hospital and Medical Center in fair condition after also inhaling water, police said.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026