snuff

verb

Definition of snuffnext
1
as in to sniff
to become aware of by means of the sense organs in the nose the dog began barking as soon as she snuffed the scent of squirrel

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to assassinate
to put to death deliberately the proprietor of the boarding house had apparently snuffed almost 50 old men before she was caught

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 snuff When Rhaenyra learns Helaena jumped to her death at the episode’s conclusion, Rhaenyra shuts the window, snuffing out the last of her compassion for her father’s other children. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 Madison defender Kevin Carmichael initially snuffed out a dangerous ball to Bodily. — Idaho Statesman, 9 Aug. 2026 Indeed, snuffing out that insect’s life may have strengthened her sense of belonging. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 High temps will rise above 100 degrees each day into early next week, with the heat dome working to snuff out the Delta breeze. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for snuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snuff
  1. sniff
  2. assassinate
  3. smell
  4. murder
  5. inhale
  6. slay
  7. execute
  8. kill
Verb
  • In sniffing out the many, many chemical compounds that naked mole rats produce, scientists found that isopropyl myristate was common among queens and queens alone.
    — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Most Niners starters won’t sniff the field against Las Vegas.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of sniff
Verb
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of attempting to assassinate one of his sons on Monday.
    — Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Among them is the son of Fred Hampton, a senior leader of the Black Panther Party who was assassinated by the FBI in 1969, at the age of 21.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of assassinate
Verb
  • North Texas residents are seeing and smelling smoke because of a shift in wind direction from the Ross Fire, which has burned more than 80,000 acres in Palo Pinto and Jack counties.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Dogs slept outside and got baths every six months and sometimes disappeared for three days and then came home smelling like Paris Hilton circa 2003, and no one asked any questions.
    — Mimi Montgomery, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of smell
Verb
  • The singer is accused of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The vast majority of the 6 million Jews murdered spoke Yiddish.
    — Ilan Stavans, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of murder
Verb
  • Vapes use a small, lithium battery to heat liquids such as nicotine for users to inhale.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of inhale
Verb
  • For the same price, fans can purchase a Sean Taylor T-Shirt with the likeness of the former safety in his Redskins uniform before he was tragically slain in 2007.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Amber Gates, the mother of slain inmate Charles Gates, 27, alleges CoreCivic employees failed in their duty to keep prisoners safe.
    — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of slay
Verb
  • According to the United Nations, executions have surged over the last six months, with at least 56 people executed on national security charges since mid-March — including 27 linked to protests earlier this year.
    — Greg Myre, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Code executed during that interruption altered the prediction machinery before the processor could use it.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of execute
Verb
  • The portable machine uses pulses of full-spectrum ultraviolet light to kill infectious germs inside hospital rooms.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Clancy is a Massachusetts woman who has been on trial for killing her three children and attempting to take her own life in 2023.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of kill

Phrases Containing snuff

Browse Nearby Words

snuck up
snuff
snuffbox
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Cite this Entry

“Snuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snuff. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on snuff

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about snuff

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