variants
or chiefly British smelt
1
2
as in sensed
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 smelled
The ice had never smelled better.
—
Jayson Jenks, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
From these tiny particles, scientists can determine how the objects may have smelled.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2026
The home also smelled of animal urine, documents say.
—Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 2 Feb. 2026
The 31-year-old man, who smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot and watery eyes, failed field sobriety tests and was arrested, the complaint says.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
When Pera hid the small truffle box among low ground plants, sans plastic container, Mochi smelled his way to it there, too.
—Aviva Bechky, Houston Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2026
The cabin smelled of rot and wood smoke.
—Nick Dothée, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Bobcats guard Mark Drone dribbled into a high ball screen on the right side of the floor; the team's lead bucket-getter smelled an opportunity for a career-defining moment.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026
To be sure, federal agents are barely a presence in many areas, and most people have never smelled a whiff of tear gas.
—Tim Sullivan, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
Jayson Jenks, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
From these tiny particles, scientists can determine how the objects may have smelled.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2026
The home also smelled of animal urine, documents say.
—Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 2 Feb. 2026
The 31-year-old man, who smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot and watery eyes, failed field sobriety tests and was arrested, the complaint says.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
When Pera hid the small truffle box among low ground plants, sans plastic container, Mochi smelled his way to it there, too.
—Aviva Bechky, Houston Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2026
The cabin smelled of rot and wood smoke.
—Nick Dothée, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Bobcats guard Mark Drone dribbled into a high ball screen on the right side of the floor; the team's lead bucket-getter smelled an opportunity for a career-defining moment.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026
To be sure, federal agents are barely a presence in many areas, and most people have never smelled a whiff of tear gas.
—Tim Sullivan, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelled
Verb
-
On the next play, Patriots rookie Craig Woodson sniffed out a trick play and dropped the ball carrier on an end around for a loss of five.—
February 9,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The tougher hurdle, historically speaking, is that the Cowboys haven’t sniffed a conference championship game in Dak’s time.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Horses brought the firefighting apparatus and a big steed, aptly named Goliath, sensed the danger and ran out of the way, not before being injured.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Still, Vivian sensed something was off.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
With a single stroke of a pen, our Democratic communities were sucked back into a ruby red stronghold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Feb. 2026
-
That love affair quickly expired because the Giants simply sucked.—
Linda Perillo,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
They can also be inhaled — particularly when heated during styling — and absorbed through a person’s hands.—
Claretta Bellamy,
NBC news,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Guardiola inhaled deeply when asked about the non-handball against Wolves last weekend and could have decided not to comment.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The cold stillness felt temporary — as if the growers would return at any moment to prop up the crumpled tents, replant their crop and fling more beer cans and dirty underwear into the woods.—
Rachel Becker,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Even so, slower population growth is likely to ripple through the economy, with the immediate impacts felt in industries that are reliant on new household formation, such as housing, construction and health care, Ngomsi told CBS News.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
During the trial, jurors learned about grim Google searches Brian had made after his wife died, including how to saw a body and how to clean blood off of wood floors.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
18 Dec. 2025
-
Fanatics shared the moment Tennessee Titans first overall pick, quarterback Cam Ward, saw Brady pop up on the screen to give him some wise words.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
She's also heard praise from her mom.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
-
At one point, a song disparaging Noem and serving as an anti-ICE anthem that’s been widely circulated on social media could be heard coming from a crowd gathered outside the stadium.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But reexamining this dot in light of ongoing LRD fever, the team noticed something strange.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Commeree also noticed that her social media algorithm shifted to show more birth emergencies after viewing the content.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelled. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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