smell a rat
/smɛl ə ræt/
Meaning
To 'smell a rat' means to suspect that something is wrong, dishonest, or suspicious in a situation, even if you do not have concrete proof yet. In business, it is used when you sense a colleague is lying, a deal is too good to be true, or there is hidden corruption or bad faith in negotiations.
Examples
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When they refused to show us their financial records, I began to smell a rat.
When they refused to show us their financial records, I began to smell a rat.
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The numbers in this report don't add up; I smell a rat in the accounting department.
The numbers in this report don't add up; I smell a rat in the accounting department.
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He offered to work for free, which made me immediately smell a rat.
He offered to work for free, which made me immediately smell a rat.
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As soon as they changed the terms of the contract at the last minute, we smelled a rat.
As soon as they changed the terms of the contract at the last minute, we smelled a rat.
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She smelled a rat when her competitor suddenly launched an identical product.
She smelled a rat when her competitor suddenly launched an identical product.
Common Mistakes
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✗ I smell a mouse in this contract.
✓ I smell a rat in this contract.
The idiom is fixed to the word 'rat'. You cannot substitute it with 'mouse' or other rodents.
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✗ He smelled at a rat.
✓ He smelled a rat.
The verb 'smell' is transitive here and takes 'a rat' directly as an object. Do not insert the preposition 'at'.
Related Expressions
Practice
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They promised 100% returns in the first month, and that's when I started to ___.
💡 suspect dishonesty or a scam
Show answer
smell a rat
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If the deal sounds too good to be true, you should probably ___.
💡 suspect that something is wrong
Show answer
smell a rat