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Synonyms

sniff at

British  

verb

  1. (intr, preposition) to express contempt or dislike for

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But Parris came off after an hour, having struggled to implement England's press and having barely had a sniff at goal.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2025

The child of today, spoiled for choice in targeted programming, might sniff at the old shows, but a CGI “Pufnstuf,” which happily no one has proposed, would be all but pointless, and potentially depressing.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 27, 2023

“India is working with great fervor with Israel on defense and technology, and Adani now has a port there. You think the Indian government can sniff at that?” said Bhaskar.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 2, 2023

Stray dogs wander across a disused dry dock and sniff at piles of rusted metal.

From New York Times • Aug. 19, 2022

Wishbone trotted beside me, stopping every now and then to sniff at a tree or root around in a pile of rotten leaves.

From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.