sniffed; sniffing; sniffs
1
a
: to inhale through the nose especially for smelling
sniffed at the flowers
b
: to take air into the nose in short audible breaths
She sniffed and wiped her nose.
2
: to show or express disdain or scorn
1
2
: to utter contemptuously
3
: to recognize or detect (something) by or as if by smelling
—usually used with out
sniff out trouble
Examples of sniff in a Sentence
Verb
She sniffed and wiped her nose with a tissue.
She put perfume on her wrist and sniffed it.
The dog sniffed the carpet.
He held the flower up to his nose and sniffed.
“I guess you don't need my help,” she sniffed.
Noun
She said that she felt fine, but her sniffs and coughs told a different story.
“I refuse to answer that question,” she said with a sniff.
He wanted to avoid the slightest sniff of a scandal.
There was still a sniff of hope left for the team.
Recent Examples on the Web
Justin Curto, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Drama, romance and a thriller plot ensue as Frank tries to sniff out a dangerous stalker, with the final act playing out as Rachel wins the Best Picture Academy Award.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2025
Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 9 Apr. 2025
None of the others ever got a sniff from the Tigers, either.
—Cj Moore, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sniff
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.
Verb
Even more recent examples have struggled to maintain their early chart success, like Capaldi, who was touted as a male Adele after sending two songs to the top ten in 2019 and 2020, but has barely sniffed the Hot 100 since.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Drama, romance and a thriller plot ensue as Frank tries to sniff out a dangerous stalker, with the final act playing out as Rachel wins the Best Picture Academy Award.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
So, does this Instagrammer's post pass the sniff test?
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 9 Apr. 2025
None of the others ever got a sniff from the Tigers, either.
—Cj Moore, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sniff
Cite this Entry
“Sniff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sniff. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sniff
1 of 2 verb1
: to draw air into the nose in short breaths loud enough to be heard
sniffed at the cheese
2
: to show or express scorn
sniffed at simple jobs
3
: to smell or inhale by taking short breaths
sniff perfume
4
: to detect by or as if by smelling
sniff out trouble
sniffer
noun
sniff
2 of 2 noun1
: the act or sound of sniffing
2
: an odor or amount sniffed
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share