Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

sniff out

British  

verb

  1. (tr, adverb) to detect through shrewdness or instinct

"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
sniff out Idioms  

  1. Uncover, as If there's anything to that rumor, Gladys will sniff it out. This expression alludes to an animal sniffing for prey. [First half of 1900s]

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.

The bond vigilantes, as first coined by Wall Street veteran Ed Yardeni, sniff out government largess, corporate profligacy, geopolitical tremors, and inflation risks long before other financial assets and respond in kind.

From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025

In some cases, the officers are meant to sniff out any scent of treason or collaboration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

Artists can sniff out genius from fakes, and Thanos sure looks like a parody of a pretender T.O.P. has encountered in the wild.

From Salon • Jan. 5, 2025

McAfee is one of several companies offering software tools that help sniff out media with AI-generated content.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2024

I know the stars and movements planetary.4 With one whiff, I can sniff out dysentery, And also, I am practicing the way To soothe my patients — and to make them pay.

From "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village" by Laura Amy Schlitz

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.