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 High temps will rise above 100 degrees each day into early next week, with the heat dome working to snuff out the Delta breeze. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026 Quiet season expected due to El Niño's impacts Forecasts for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season were mostly below-normal due to the storm-snuffing impacts of El Niño. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 July 2026 Another method is to cut off oxygen to the fire by using a snuffing lid, then let the fire burn out naturally. — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 4 July 2026 The lead secured, Switzerland shifted to a five-man midfield out of possession, snuffing out the space and challenging the Algerians to play through it, but Petkovic’s charges struggled to break their opponents down. — Reuters, NBC news, 3 July 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
  • 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
  • Ryder said police got a call about Thompson acting irrationally and possibly sniffing glue.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of sniff
Verb
  • Experts say the changes mark a shift in approach compared to the more cautious tone under Mojtaba’s father, Ali Khamenei, who was supreme leader until assassinated by Israel at the start of the war.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival?
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of assassinate
Verb
  • These seats are open to the elements, allowing guests to hear the train whistle loud and clear and smell the heady scent of sugar pines during the ride.
    — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Ahead, find our top picks for the best-smelling skincare for men.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of smell
Verb
  • The trip changed his life when terrorist Rashid Baz opened fire on the van, murdering 16-year-old Ari Halberstam, and injuring several others.
    — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • People don’t do what they’re supposed to, or someone betrays someone else for money or power or spite, or maybe a dragon just disobeys its rider and decides to murder a prince.
    — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of murder
Verb
  • People are thought to get infected by inhaling the amoeba from windblown dust or by getting contaminated soil or water in a wound.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Also called square breathing, this four-step method asks children to inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts and hold again for four counts.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of inhale
Verb
  • Lean into your confidence and slay the competition, knowing that the fiercest flex is being yourself.
    — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026
  • After pressing go, the smart telescope should move and slew towards the sun.
    — Harry Bennett, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of slay
Verb
  • The two-sided rule would not apply to parlays, which execute through a different trading mechanism called Request for Quote.
    — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Within four months, the other members of the selectorate, worried that Beria was a threat, arrested him in a committee session and subsequently executed him.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of execute
Verb
  • Attacks on Wildberries’ warehouses last month killed at least eight people in a single day which, up until Monday’s strike on Nizhnekamsk, was the deadliest Ukrainian attack inside Russia.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Alicent, not at all her friend in the book, is chained up and not sent off on some silly assassination attempt to kill her son, Aemond.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of kill

Phrases Containing snuff

Browse Nearby Words

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 14 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on snuff

Nglish: Translation of snuff for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about snuff

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