Thesaurus results for SNIFFING

sniffing

verb

Definition of sniffing next

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 So does Soderbergh’s camera, which begins sniffing and roving about the space like a dog unleashed. —

Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026 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, 1 Apr. 2026 Law enforcement arrived soon after and deduced the shot must have come from outside, potentially from an area 30 yards away where a firearm-sniffing dog alerted the following day. —

Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026 But nearby residents had been told to stay indoors for a while, and city and county police, FBI agents, experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and an ATF bomb-sniffing dog were on the scene for hours. —

ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026 Images posted to the hacking group’s Telegram account included a picture of Patel sniffing a cigar and posing for photos. —

Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026 Don’t think bluebloods wouldn’t come sniffing around Austin to grab the Miller magic. —

Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026 Included in the carousel is footage of Aspen playing with the kids, as well as getting to know the couple’s two other dogs, who do a lot of sniffing and barking. —

Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026 There were a 1-mile perimeter of street closures around the theater, bomb-sniffing dogs and heavy police presence. —

Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sniffing

Verb

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