sniff
verb (used without object)
to draw air through the nose in short, audible inhalations.
was sniffing
-
past progressiveof sniff.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
This was fine with me, because it was the big picture, after all, that she was sniffing out when she first made waves in 2012, as Spotify was just getting off the ground.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2024
Two minutes later, that dog was sniffing food all along the lowest shelf of the produce section and eating food off the floor.
From Seattle Times ● May 12, 2023
About 100 meters away, a chubby female polar bear was sniffing the air and walking toward the coast.
From Science Magazine ● Oct. 22, 2021
Next to her, an employee was sniffing the contents of a garment bag, one of hundreds that UPS and FedEx deliver to the warehouse each morning.
From New York Times ● Oct. 12, 2018
The newly beaten and untied Wilfred was sniffing noisily in the background.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
