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Glite Dictionary
to sniff out trouble

to sniff out trouble

5.9
To notice problems or danger before other people do
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : oler problemas
  • As a seasoned detective, she could sniff out trouble the moment she entered a room.

Examples

  • Parents often seem able to sniff out trouble before their children even realize it.

  • She can sniff out trouble from a mile away.

  • The manager relied on his assistant to sniff out trouble in the office early.

  • I always sniff out trouble before it escalates.

  • The detective has a knack for sniffing out trouble before it escalates.

  • Teachers often sniff out trouble among students and intervene promptly.

  • He seems to have an instinct for sniffing out trouble wherever he goes.

Synonyms

to sniff out
vsto sniff out trouble
  • Informal
15 4.0

Find something by searching, often by smell

detects problems or danger quickly without long searching
to smell out
vsto sniff out trouble
2 5.1

Find something hidden by noticing small signs

detects problems or danger easily and often before others notice

Antonyms

to overlook
243 2.9

To not notice someone or something you should see

How Early

to previse
  • Archaic
9.9
to sniff out trouble
  • Informal
5.9
to troubleshoot
  • Specialized
4 4.9

Surface Forms

sniff out trouble infinitive
sniffed out trouble past
sniffed out trouble past participle
sniffing out trouble present participle
sniffs out trouble third person singular

Morphology

sniff + out + trouble

The verb 'sniff' (to smell) combined with the particle 'out' yields a clear metaphor of using the nose to locate something, so a learner who knows the constituents can plausibly infer 'detect or discover trouble.' However, the meaning is a metaphorical extension (detecting problems, often before others) rather than a literal smelling action, so some nuance may be unpredictable without exposure.

Etymology

Sniff out trouble comes from the image of a dog using its nose to sniff and find hidden problems or danger, then move out to them. So, it now means 'to detect problems or danger early, often before others notice'.