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

“You’re just being led by the nose, or the ears. The skill is not to interfere with it too much.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The defence relied upon proving the group had been led by the nose by officials.

From BBC

As higher order animals, we are often led by the nose beyond our understanding.

From Salon

Mr. Sanger argued Wikipedia readers “do not want to be led by the nose” before criticizing the website for not allowing content that cites outlets like the populist British tabloid The Daily Mail.

From Washington Times

“We are being led by the nose over this, because of the huge political imperative to start jabbing people before Christmas,” said one executive.

From The Guardian

Related Words

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