whiff 1 of 2

as in hint
an almost imperceptible sign of something even a whiff of appreciation for everything I've done for her would have been nice

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whiff

2 of 2

verb

as in to smell
to become aware of by means of the sense organs in the nose whiffed the pot of chili on the stove and announced that he was staying for dinner

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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 whiff
Noun
His pugnacious media brands tend to resist any whiff of weakness or wrongdoing. Brian Stelter, CNN, 22 Jan. 2025 Patience is indeed a virtue, but a whiff of narcissism arises when commentators extoll it in others, like a husband praising an adoring wife. Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Verb
The Toronto Blue Jays began their offseason by whiffing on a few big free agents. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025 Hitters whiffed on the pitch 38.9 percent of the time. Cody Stavenhagen, The Athletic, 30 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for whiff 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiff
Noun
  • The result is a nut butter with roasty toasty complexity and the slightest hint of natural sweetness.
    Alaina Chou, Bon Appétit, 13 Feb. 2025
  • Her makeup included bold brows, a smokey eye and a hint of a glossy lip.
    Julia Teti, WWD, 13 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The demands of California’s agriculture and population growth have had severe consequences for native fish species since the early 20th century, with roughly 80% of previous populations of native salmon, trout, sturgeon and the delta smelt.
    Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Trump's claims that measures to protect the delta smelt, an endangered fish, upstate affected L.A.'s water supply are false, according to Ashley Overhouse, a California water policy adviser for the nonprofit conservation organization Defenders of Wildlife.
    Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • There’s one hopeful glimmer on the horizon: slim phones.
    Allison Johnson, The Verge, 21 Jan. 2025
  • Now, after years in which the situation in Syria seemed to have become stagnant, the fall of the regime, for Syrians displaced in Turkey, offered a glimmer of hope amid a precarious existence marked by everyday humiliation and occasional violence in the country of their refuge.
    Alia Malek, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Think outside the box, or rather, the sarcophagus, and take your crush to the closest museum to sniff the mummies.
    Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 14 Feb. 2025
  • There’s no doubt who’s getting the call when the Eagles sniff the goal line.
    Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The state concluded that people could safely inhale the chemical at concentrations thousands of times higher than the EPA’s safe limit.
    Lisa Song, ProPublica, 5 Feb. 2025
  • However, the montage’s editor found another way to inhale as much SNL as possible during the preparation stage.
    Devon Ivie, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Whiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiff. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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