smelled

verb

variants or chiefly British smelt
past tense of smell
1
as in sniffed
to become aware of by means of the sense organs in the nose we smelled the aroma of freshly baked cookies as soon as we walked in the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in sensed
to have a vague awareness of I smell something fishy about this situation

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in sucked
to be objectionable or unsatisfactory that movie smells—I wouldn't waste my money on it if I were you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of smelled Officers initially smelled the odor of unburnt cannabis during the stop, according to police, and Mark Stephens handed them an open container of weed. — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 Xcel crews told fire officials that a nearby business had used a cleaning solution that smelled like propane gas. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2026 The women looked terrible—bruised and sallow—and smelled even worse. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Incident reports show there was also a burn barrel which smelled of decomposition. — Nikki Battiste, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026 According to an incident report by the Gainesville Police Department, Bader smelled of alcohol after that collision. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 31 July 2026 The air smelled like smoke, even hundreds of miles downwind from the blazes. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 20 July 2026 Harvest had finished two weeks ago and the cellar smelled ripely of yeast, like fruit and uncooked dough. — Kyle Lucia Wu, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026 For spouses Jennifer Kraus and Abigail Cruz, the plants smelled like rotten garbage. — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelled
  1. sniffed
  2. sensed
  3. sucked
  4. inhaled
  5. felt
  6. saw
  7. heard
  8. noticed
Verb
  • The final three possessions to determine the winner included a screen pass sniffed out by Lawrence, tipped in the air and intercepted.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Special Narcotics Prosecutor's Office They were flagged as suspicious at a UPS facility in Queens after a K9 sniffed out the drugs.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of sniffed
Verb
  • O’Neal sensed a similar opportunity with the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Falwell correctly sensed vulnerability in the uneasy alliance between rationalism and Christianity that had prevailed since the eighteenth-century Enlightenment.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of sensed
Verb
  • Will the contestants get sucked into a chocolate pipe, Augustus Gloop-style?
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
  • This debris can get sucked into your ductwork or blown back into the house.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of sucked
Verb
  • If disturbed, asbestos’ microscopic crystalline fibers get into the air, where they can be inhaled, cause lung scarring and lead to fatal cancers.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Ignore Safety Protocols Particular cleaning products can exude strong smells or fumes that aren’t meant to be inhaled and which can be harmful to your lungs and skin.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of inhaled
Verb
  • The sea change coming for the Angels franchise felt due, illustrated each night at Angel Stadium by the waves of shirtless fans in the upper decks imploring Arte Moreno to sell the team.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Bellow felt an affinity with Kennedy’s combination of low-life high jinks, human frailty, and virtuoso style.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of felt
Verb
  • In the book, Covey tells the story of a man relentlessly sawing down a tree.
    — Tony Gambill, Forbes.com, 2 June 2026
  • Jordan Walker, sawed off by a 96 mph sinker, lined out softly.
    — Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
Definition of saw
Verb
  • Words like miraculous, inspirational, incredible, amazing and magical were just some of the adjectives heard at Friday’s event.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • One such example is the OlloBot OlloNi SS1, a cyber pet designed to make users feel heard, seen, and genuinely accompanied.
    — Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of heard
Verb
  • Kelce’s confirmation comes after fans noticed a framed photo from his and Swift’s wedding showing the couple holding a fluffy white puppy.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Speaking with Sharp and Fabrizio, Sandra Kalander noticed their discernable sincerity in wanting to identify the victim and recognize their humanity, despite the time that had passed.
    — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of noticed

Browse Nearby Words

smell
smelled
smelled (of)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelled. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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