come up smelling like a rose

A form of smell like a rose — To be regarded as appealing, virtuous, or respectable; to be untainted or unharmed.

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Meanings

verbcome up smelling like a rose (third-person singular simple present comes up smelling like a rose, present participle coming up smelling like a rose, simple past came up smelling like a rose, past participle come up smelling like a rose)

present singular third person comes up smelling like a rose · participle present coming up smelling like a rose · past came up smelling like a rose

  1. alternativeAlternative form of smell like a rose.
Cite this entry
APA

come up smelling like a rose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20up%20smelling%20like%20a%20rose

MLA

“come up smelling like a rose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20up%20smelling%20like%20a%20rose. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “come up smelling like a rose,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20up%20smelling%20like%20a%20rose.

Source: come up smelling like a rose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.