1
as in sniffing
to become aware of by means of the sense organs in the nose
we smelled the aroma of freshly baked cookies as soon as we walked in the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in sensing
to have a vague awareness of
I smell something fishy about this situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smelling
Just before Sunday’s collision, controllers were dealing with another plane that had declared an emergency after aborting a takeoff and smelling an odor on the plane.
—
Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Red, white and blue smoke shaped as an American flag hung in the air for a moment before quickly dissolving into a foul-smelling cloud that covered the ballpark and looked like a twisted tribute to, oh say, a military incursion.
—Sports Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026
Investigators described a foul-smelling place with bags and bottles of fetuses and jars of body parts, along with bloodstained furniture and dirty medical instruments.
—Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Investigators described a foul-smelling place with bags and bottles of fetuses and jars of body parts, along with bloodstained furniture and dirty medical instruments.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
The most memorable of this group of exotic foul-smelling cormaceous plants is the corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum).
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
Those who suffer from seasonal allergies won't be out smelling the roses anytime soon thanks to an incredibly high pollen count, or the amount of pollen density in the air.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
For me, the rewards—laying the first tracks of the day, smelling the forest after a fresh rain, and making eye contact with a chipmunk—far outweigh the risks.
—Katie Jackson, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
The scent, a refreshing citrus and amber fragrance, leaves your hair smelling amazing well after wash day.
—Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2026
Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Red, white and blue smoke shaped as an American flag hung in the air for a moment before quickly dissolving into a foul-smelling cloud that covered the ballpark and looked like a twisted tribute to, oh say, a military incursion.
—Sports Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026
Investigators described a foul-smelling place with bags and bottles of fetuses and jars of body parts, along with bloodstained furniture and dirty medical instruments.
—Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Investigators described a foul-smelling place with bags and bottles of fetuses and jars of body parts, along with bloodstained furniture and dirty medical instruments.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
The most memorable of this group of exotic foul-smelling cormaceous plants is the corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum).
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
Those who suffer from seasonal allergies won't be out smelling the roses anytime soon thanks to an incredibly high pollen count, or the amount of pollen density in the air.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
For me, the rewards—laying the first tracks of the day, smelling the forest after a fresh rain, and making eye contact with a chipmunk—far outweigh the risks.
—Katie Jackson, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
The scent, a refreshing citrus and amber fragrance, leaves your hair smelling amazing well after wash day.
—Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelling
Verb
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So does Soderbergh’s camera, which begins sniffing and roving about the space like a dog unleashed.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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At one of these gatherings trouble broke out over girls, glue-sniffing, and hassles caused by confusion over membership in the various branches of the organization.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Wang shared some preliminary data from the study, noting that early findings connect passive smartphone sensing data with brief real-time check-ins about mood and behavior (called ecological momentary assessment).—
Crista Marchesseault,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
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Scientists at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have built a tiny detector capable of sensing microwave photons, which are about 10,000 times weaker than optical photons.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Are there ways to prevent ticks from sucking on his body?—
Jane Sykes,
Washington Post,
30 Mar. 2026
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Though the Democratic primary for the 7th Congressional District may be sucking up much of the political oxygen within Indianapolis, Republican voters on the south side of the city will have their own choices to make.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When a degraded grassland returns to health, the ground heaves up, as if inhaling with relief.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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Humans are evolutionarily designed for hunting and gathering — not for lifting 50-pound boxes for eight hours straight or inhaling toxic dust in an industrial sanding booth.—
Vivek Ranadive,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Witnesses have reported feeling both earthquakes in communities as far away as Randleman (64 miles away) and High Point (80 miles away), the USGS says.—
Mark Price
April 6,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
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The Dodgers’ star shortstop left Saturday’s game after running the bases in the first inning and feeling pain in the right side of his lower back.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Whizzing by the moon up to 6,000 miles above the surface, the astronauts will also glimpse the celestial body's full disk, seeing sights that not even the Apollo astronauts witnessed.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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Being embedded meant slowing down, listening, and understanding the genealogy of the triennial itself—seeing HT25 not as a rupture, but as part of an ongoing continuum.—
Wassan Al-Khudhairi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sciutto reported hearing booms from missile-defense interceptions.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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Prolonged volumes above 85 decibels are considered harmful to hearing.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Women suffering through the hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes and sleep problems that can come with menopause — all while looking in the mirror and noticing signs of aging — are being bombarded with products.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
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But people in the capital began noticing.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelling. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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