sniff out
Britishverb
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.
Officials such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the plan was to right-size the staff and introduce more technology to sniff out unpaid tax bills.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026
Villarreal: We know Elsbeth as this person with a keen ability to read people, who can sniff out liars, murderers.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Danoff’s long success was due in part to his ability to sniff out large growth companies early and ride them for years of gains.
From Barron's ● Jan. 27, 2026
In some cases, the officers are meant to sniff out any scent of treason or collaboration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025
Lizzie thought he looked like a dog trying to sniff out something but not quite getting hold of the scent.
From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt
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.
