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noun ADJ. faint | strong | unmistakable (often figurative) detecting the unmistakable whiff of electoral blackmail VERB + WHIFF catch, get, detect I caught the whiff of whisky on his breath. (figurative) Journalists caught a whiff of scandal and pursued the actress relentlessly. PREP. ~ of a whiff of perfume PHRASES at the faintest/first/merest whiff of sth (figurative) He always retreated emotionally at the first whiff of conflict.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary