snuffle

1 of 2

verb

snuf·fle ˈsnə-fəl

snuffled; snuffling ˈsnə-f(ə-)liŋ

Synonyms of snuffle

intransitive verb

: to snuff or sniff usually audibly and repeatedly

: to breathe through an obstructed nose with a sniffing sound

: to speak through or as if through the nose : whine

transitive verb

: to seek or test by or as if by repeated sniffs

snuffler

ˈsnə-f(ə-)lər

noun

snuffle

2 of 2

noun

snuffles ˈsnə-fəlz plural : sniffles

: the act or sound of snuffling

: a nasal twang

Examples of snuffle in a Sentence

Verb The child was snuffling in his room.

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Verb

Click for more > Clearly, this is no ordinary sea creature quietly snuffling the currents. —IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2010

Next to arrive is her disembodied trunk, with a mind of its own, snuffling out friends and enemies and food. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Elephants are trampling the thirsty turf, sending sprays of dust into the dry savannah air, and buffalos are bent with their snuffling snouts to the ground. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 26 Sep. 2023 Local residents popped in to buy vegetables from a shack built out of recycled materials, while an enormous sow snuffled in the heather beside a vegetable garden. —Hisako Ueno, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2023 There is an amazing array of puzzles that require dogs to roll, shake, lick or snuffle a product to access food or treats. —Melanie D.g. Kaplan, Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2023 Two canines in Massachusetts are the first to be used by a law enforcement agency to snuffle the virus. —David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 July 2021 At night, wild boars snuffled outside the tents, searching for food scraps. —New York Times, 24 Jan. 2020 If any swine is fit to be an organ donor for people, then the dozens of pigs snuffling around Qihan Bio’s facility in Hangzhou, China, may be the best candidates so far. —Kelly Servick, Science | AAAS, 19 Dec. 2019

Noun

Creole chickens weave between our legs, a chunky pig snuffles across the dirt floor, and a dusty ginger cat snoozes on a goatskin chair. —Lydia Bell, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Dec. 2024 Their small sounds and snuffles were barely audible above the lilting bleeps of incubators in the neonatal ward. —Hajar Harb, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023 Try implementing a few lifestyle changes: Take her on longer walks in the morning, bring her to a dog park in the afternoon, supply her with brain-teasing toys like snuffle mats or puzzle feeders. —Hannah Harper, Health.com, 22 Sep. 2021 Hide treats in multiple pockets of a snuffle mat to test canine foraging skills. —oregonlive, 21 Aug. 2020 Regular exercise and mental stimulation also reduce anxiety. Hide treats in multiple pockets of a snuffle mat to test canine foraging skills. —oregonlive, 12 May 2020 The sounds of the season are sprinkled with sniffles, snuffles and snorts. —Cindy George, Houston Chronicle, 18 Dec. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Verb

akin to Dutch snuffelen to snuffle — more at snivel

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1717, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of snuffle was circa 1600

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

snuffish

snuffle

snuffless

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Snuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snuffle. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

snuffle

1 of 2 verb

snuf·fle ˈsnəf-əl

snuffled; snuffling -(ə-)liŋ

: to snuff or sniff usually loudly and over and over again

: to breathe through a partly blocked nose with a sniffing sound

: whine entry 1 sense 1

snuffle

2 of 2 noun

: the sound made in snuffling

Last Updated: 9 Mar 2025 - Updated example sentences

snuffle

verb

noun

Examples of snuffle in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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snuffle

verb

noun

Examples of snuffle in a Sentence

Word History

Rhymes for snuffle

Browse Nearby Words

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Kids Definition

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