whiffing

present participle of whiff
as in sniffing
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 whiffing Ohtani fouled off the next two pitches before whiffing on a sinker to end the inning. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 However, that doesn’t excuse him from whiffing on all but one free agent (Josh Uche) the team added this offseason. — Omar Kelly august 23, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026 After whiffing during his first at bat, Hundley hit a triple in the fourth inning, a double off the left field wall in the scoreless sixth, a homer (his 16th of the season) in the eighth and a single in the 11th. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026 By punting on draft picks, the Rams are taking the possibility of whiffing on them out of the equation. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026 The Mets struggled against right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski, whiffing on his four-seam fastball and his splitter. — Abbey Mastracco, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026 The Slovenian star shook his head in disdain after whiffing on a 3-point attempt from the top of the key, the ball falling well short of the rim. — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026 The arrival of the 31-year-old on a $26 million, two-year deal could be viewed as a penalty for whiffing on Kris Jenkins. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026 After whiffing nine batters in his first start of the season, the UTSA transfer has now collected double-digit strikeouts in three consecutive outings. — David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiffing
Verb
  • Alaniz then detained her for a drug-sniffing dog, which alerted to the vehicle.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026
  • And security inside Alice Tully Hall, where the film premiered, was certainly tight—metal detectors, physical checks of bags, K9 bomb-sniffing dogs.
    — Hannah Seligson, Vanity Fair, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Dove adds that the skin’s microbiome shifts with hormonal changes, aging and lifestyle habits, which can lead to more odor-causing bacteria breaking down sweat into stronger-smelling compounds.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Ants line up and overrun a picnic through smelling a neighbor’s pheromones with their tiny antennae.
    — Michael Morris, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But some people abuse it by inhaling it to feel relaxed or euphoric.
    — Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Tottenham attempted to offload Bissouma last summer, and the club later initiated another internal investigation after an image leaked of Bissouma inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon again.
    — Colin Millar, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Whiffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiffing. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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