smack of (something)

to have some of the characteristics or qualities of something.

The book smacks of having been written by a committee rather than an author with a point of view.

Usage notes: often said about a negative characteristic or quality, as in the example

• the joker in the pack
• the joke's on
• the joke's on someone
• the jury is out
• the jury is still out
• the kiss of death
• the knives are out
• the land of milk and honey
• the last gasp of
• the last gasp of something
• the last minute
• the last of the big spenders
• the last straw
• the last word in
• the last word in something
• the law of averages
• the law of the jungle
• the lay of the land
• the least can do
• the least you can do
• the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing
• the lesser of two evils
• luck into something
• luck of the draw
• luck out