smell out

smell out (third-person singular simple present smells out, present participle smelling out, simple past and past participle smelled out or smelt out)

1. (transitive) To find out by prying.

   I can smell out dishonesty from a mile away.

   • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:

     for a Cut-purse; a good Nose is requisite also, to smell out
     worke for th' other Sences.

• outsmell