sniff at

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.

What he lacked was a modicum of a chance, a sniff at goal.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

So in the interest of self-improvement, I open my pack of what look like markers and sniff at them one by one.

From Salon • Jan. 5, 2025

The child of today, spoiled for choice in targeted programming, might sniff at the old shows, but a CGI “Pufnstuf,” which happily no one has proposed, would be all but pointless, and potentially depressing.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 27, 2023

Stray dogs wander across a disused dry dock and sniff at piles of rusted metal.

From New York Times • Aug. 19, 2022

We are quite uppish and sniff at the tinned stuff in the supply dump, we want fresh vegetables.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque