nosing

verb

Definition of nosingnext
present participle of nose
1
as in sniffing
to become aware of by means of the sense organs in the nose could nose the garbage from across the street

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in interfering
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern a neighbor who likes to nose around in everyone else's business

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dragging
to move slowly the line to get tickets is just nosing, so we are going to be here for a while

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nosing
  1. sniffing
  2. interfering
  3. smelling
  4. inhaling
  5. poking
  6. creeping
  7. shuffling
Verb
  • She's even learned to spot the telltale signs that Leia, 11, is going on a thieving spree as the mischievous pup usually starts sniffing around the yard and then heads straight next door.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
  • One of her favorite daily routines has become sniffing, exploring and searching for food that her caregivers scatter throughout the forest floor and on tree branches, enjoying the freedom to act like a wild bear.
    Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of sniffing
Verb
  • One of my personal favorite characters is Liz, Jimmy and Alice’s interfering neighbor.
    Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
  • Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected accusations that Moscow is interfering in Moldova’s political process.
    Christian Edwards, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024
Definition of interfering
Verb
  • There can be side effects from supplementation, such as bad-smelling breath and sweat and headaches, as well as digestive issues such as heartburn, nausea or diarrhea, Harvard’s site stated.
    Sandee LaMotte, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Other things to love are a selection of gym equipment (including weights and a stationary bike) and Great Plains toiletries smelling of orange, grapefruit, and marula.
    Nicole Trilivas, Travel + Leisure, 8 Dec. 2024
Definition of smelling
Verb
  • For humans, those averse cues can range from using needles to inhaling smoke.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Dec. 2024
  • State health officials warn that drinking or accidentally inhaling raw milk infected with H5N1 could lead to illness.
    Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of inhaling
Verb
  • Only two small wedges are visible, poking up through the ground at adjacent graves.
    Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Take Kule’s for example—the red stripes would look so chic poking out from beneath a tonal knit or ladylike jacket.
    Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of poking
Verb
  • The prostrate or creeping forms are less winter hardy but only grow 8-10 inches tall but cascade along the ground.
    Janet B. Carson, arkansasonline.com, 9 Dec. 2024
  • All of which would probably block any other incoming administration’s pick for a receptionist—let alone a Secretary of Defense—from creeping forward.
    Philip Elliott, TIME, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of creeping
Verb
  • In addition, both received the Order of the British Empire in different years (2003 and 2017, respectively), and some tabloid media are shuffling the possibility of their knighthood.
    Nuria Luis, Glamour, 4 Dec. 2024
  • James has been shuffling between the Lakers and the G League as Los Angeles tries to work out a plan to give him time for development.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2024
Definition of shuffling
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near nosing

nosiness

nosing

nosing out

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Nosing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nosing. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on nosing

Nglish: Translation of nosing for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...