as in sniffing
to become aware of by means of the sense organs in the nose
whiffed the pot of chili on the stove and announced that he was staying for dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 whiffing
The Mets struggled against right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski, whiffing on his four-seam fastball and his splitter.
—
Abbey Mastracco, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
The Slovenian star shook his head in disdain after whiffing on a 3-point attempt from the top of the key, the ball falling well short of the rim.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
The arrival of the 31-year-old on a $26 million, two-year deal could be viewed as a penalty for whiffing on Kris Jenkins.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
After whiffing nine batters in his first start of the season, the UTSA transfer has now collected double-digit strikeouts in three consecutive outings.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Johnson’s been whiffing on the open stuff in a make-or-miss league.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
This is still like the administration whiffing on the Epstein files.
—NBC news, 21 Dec. 2025
The Houston Astros are in a tough spot after whiffing on the postseason last season.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
And after whiffing on Mazi Smith in the first round in 2023, grabbing a defensive tackle like Walter Nolen also presented some intrigue.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Dec. 2025
Abbey Mastracco, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
The Slovenian star shook his head in disdain after whiffing on a 3-point attempt from the top of the key, the ball falling well short of the rim.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
The arrival of the 31-year-old on a $26 million, two-year deal could be viewed as a penalty for whiffing on Kris Jenkins.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
After whiffing nine batters in his first start of the season, the UTSA transfer has now collected double-digit strikeouts in three consecutive outings.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Johnson’s been whiffing on the open stuff in a make-or-miss league.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
This is still like the administration whiffing on the Epstein files.
—NBC news, 21 Dec. 2025
The Houston Astros are in a tough spot after whiffing on the postseason last season.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
And after whiffing on Mazi Smith in the first round in 2023, grabbing a defensive tackle like Walter Nolen also presented some intrigue.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiffing
Verb
-
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,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
-
When a degraded grassland returns to health, the ground heaves up, as if inhaling with relief.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Whiffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiffing. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
