sniff
verb (used without object)
to draw air through the nose in short, audible inhalations.
were 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.
The men did not know what they were sniffing and could not distinguish between the tears or the saline, which were both odorless.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 21, 2023
Samoa, spirited and aggressive, were sniffing a first victory over England and one that would arguably outdo their shock wins over Wales in 1991 and 1999.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2023
Samuel Reid, CEO of consulting firm Geometric Energy Corporation said heavy outflows from exchanges could potentially indicate some large buyers were "sniffing out" the end of the bear market.
From Reuters ● Nov. 1, 2022
Cadaver dogs, meanwhile, were sniffing wreckage “in towns we never thought we’d need them in,” Beshear said.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 13, 2021
In the middle of the cobblestone courtyard, a dozen shaggy cow creatures were sniffing around the mossy base of an old stone well.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
