lead by the nose

Idioms  

1. Dominate or control someone, as in “The Moor ... will tenderly be led by the nose as asses are” (Shakespeare, Othello, 1:3). This expression alludes to an animal being led by a ring passed through its nostrils. [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

He hates me, just as he hates any man whom he cannot lead by the nose, and he will move like the old fox he is.

From The Land of Frozen Suns by Sinclair, Bertrand W.

I saw the Duke of Bedford coming out of Charles's yesterday, so there is another Duke for him to lead by the nose.

From George Selwyn: His Letters and His Life by Roscoe, E. S.

Related Words

• command
• control
• dictate
• influence
• lead
• manage
• monopolize
• overshadow
• prevail
• run