whiff through

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "whiff through" is not standard in written English and may not be widely understood.
It could be used in a context where one is describing a fleeting or subtle perception of a smell or scent. Example: "As I walked past the bakery, I caught a whiff through the open door of freshly baked bread."

Wiki

News & Media

Sports

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Take the first whiff through your nose.

WikiHow

Then take a whiff through your mouth (yes, the two are connected).

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

He still strikes out, though, with 168 whiffs through Friday.

The New York Times

And to be honest, sod all else normally happens, so of course we were all going to have a look-see, weren't we? Besides, the closest people like the Company Man usually ever get to us is when they drive over the Passover, when a few wisps of smoke from our fires might brush against their tyres or whiff in through the fans on their dashboards.

The Guardian - Books

Stewart was almost pointing right at him, as if he were challenging Napoli, and Napoli could not help himself either, whiffing right through a first-pitch fastball that might have sent a tingle up the spine of the Yankees' starting pitcher, Phil Hughes.

The New York Times - Sports

A whiff of panic swept through the ranks of the Liberal Democratic Party LDPP), which dominates the ruling coalition.

The Economist

There is also the distinct whiff of Jarmusch wafting through Slow West.

The Guardian - Film

More than a whiff of marijuana floated through the packed auditorium as a large Welsh contingent in the audience joined in.

The Guardian

As the occasional whiff of marijuana wafted through the air on a surprisingly warm, sunny day, the ecstatic crowd welcomed Hall of Famers like Mays and Willie McCovey, and politicians like Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Newsom, before the players were introduced.

The New York Times

But the date of Mr Mori's departure is still not set and, worse, none of the likely candidates to succeed him inspires much confidence.Nor is there much faith in the "emergency taskforce" which was assembled on Wednesday March 14th as a whiff of panic swept through the ranks of the Liberal Democratic Party LDPP), which dominates the ruling coalition.

The Economist

The date of Mr Mori's departure is still not set and, worse, none of the likely candidates to succeed him inspires much confidence.Nor is there much faith in the "emergency taskforce" which was assembled on Wednesday March 14th as a whiff of panic swept through the ranks of the Liberal Democratic Party LDPP), which dominates the ruling coalition.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "whiff through" to describe a quick, often unintentional, smelling of something as you move past it.

Common error

Avoid using "whiff through" in formal or academic writing, as it's more appropriate for informal or descriptive contexts. In formal settings, consider using more precise and commonly accepted terms like "detect a scent of" or "perceive an odor of".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "whiff through" functions primarily as a prepositional phrase combined with a noun, often describing the action of briefly perceiving a scent. Ludwig examples show its use in describing the process of smelling or sensing something fleetingly.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

25%

Sports

25%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "whiff through" describes briefly smelling or sensing something while passing by it. While grammatically acceptable, it's more suitable for informal or descriptive writing and isn't commonly used in formal or academic contexts. As Ludwig AI suggests, consider using alternatives like "catch a scent of" or "get a hint of" for more formal situations. The phrase occurs rarely but consistently in both news media and informal contexts, showing a limited but present usage in the English language.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

catch a scent of

Replaces "whiff" with a more common synonym for smell.

get a hint of

Similar to 'catch a scent', but emphasizes a subtle perception.

sense a trace of

Emphasizes the subtle and often barely perceptible nature of what is sensed.

detect a faint smell of

More descriptive, specifying that the whiff is a faint smell.

experience a passing odor of

More formal and descriptive, highlighting the fleeting nature of the smell.

notice a waft of

Replaces "whiff" with "waft", emphasizing a gentle movement of air carrying the scent.

smell faintly of

Focuses directly on the act of smelling something subtly.

catch a glimpse of

Shifts the sense from smell to sight, implying a brief visual impression.

feel a breeze of

Shifts the sense to touch, implying a gentle movement of air.

hear a whisper of

Shifts the sense to hearing, implying a faint sound.

FAQs

How can I use "whiff through" in a sentence?

You can use "whiff through" to describe briefly smelling something while passing by it. For example, "As I walked by the bakery, I caught a "whiff through" the door of freshly baked bread."

What's a more common way to say "whiff through"?

Alternatives to "whiff through" include "catch a scent of", "get a hint of", or "detect a faint smell of" depending on the context.

Is "whiff through" grammatically correct?

While not incorrect, "whiff through" is less common in formal writing. Ludwig AI categorizes it as acceptable. Consider using more standard alternatives for formal contexts.

What does "whiff" mean?

"Whiff" refers to a slight smell, carried on a current of air. It's the act of smelling something briefly. It is related to words like "scent", "odor", or "aroma".