Smell Out (Verb)
Meaning 1
Recognize or detect by or as if by smelling; "He can smell out trouble".
Classification
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling.
Examples
- She has a knack for smelling out a good deal and never pays full price.
- The journalist was skilled at smelling out corruption in local government.
- He had a gift for smelling out new talent and helped launch many successful careers.
- The detective was tasked with smelling out a mole within the police department.
- The rumor mill was always effective at smelling out someone's deepest secrets.
Synonyms
Meaning 2
Become aware of not through the senses but instinctively; "I sense his hostility"; "I smell trouble"; "smell out corruption".
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- The detective had a knack for smelling out deceit in the people she interviewed.
- As a journalist, she had a reputation for smelling out corruption in local government.
- The team leader sensed an underlying tension in the group but couldn't quite put his finger on it, so asked his colleagues if they could smell anything out.
- She was a skilled mediator, able to smell out potential conflicts before they arose.
- He had an incredible instinct that allowed him to smell out the hidden agendas of his opponents.