sniff around/round

phrasal verb

sniffed around/round; sniffing around/round; sniffs around/round

British, informal

: to try to get (someone) as a romantic partner, employee, etc.

His engagement hasn't stopped him from sniffing around other girls.

Rival companies have been sniffing around her for years.

Examples of sniff around/round in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Still, the Brit starts asserting her independence by spending more time away from controlling Rose and even flying to Athens to see her estranged father Christos (Vangelis Mourikis), who encourages her to sniff around Rose’s troubled family history in Ireland. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025

The dog can sniff around and tug at its leash, but the dog walker is the one setting the pace and direction. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 26 Nov. 2024

Overseas investors have started to sniff around, too. —Vivek Wadhwa, Fortune Europe, 19 Oct. 2024

But my belief is that a sub-dominant buck might visit a scrape just to sniff around and see who’s been to the party recently. —Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 18 July 2024

After his victory, Trumpet posed patiently for countless photos, eventually starting to do what bloodhounds do best — sniff around. —Jennifer Peltz, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2022

Smells Now 31% Off $20 at Amazon Rabbits sniff around, a lot. —Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 21 June 2023

Luckily, Searchlight Pictures began to sniff around the project, provided that Booster could rewrite it as a feature film. —New York Times, 3 June 2022

After finding prior drug charges, officers wanted a police K-9 to sniff around Owensby's car, which required him to exit, police said. —BostonGlobe.com, 10 Oct. 2021