nose out
Britishverb
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to discover by smelling
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to discover by cunning or persistence
the reporter managed to nose out a few facts
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informal to beat by a narrow margin
he was nosed out of first place by the champion
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Defeat by a narrow margin, as in She barely nosed out the incumbent . This expression, alluding to a horse's winning with its nose in front, has been used figuratively since the mid-1900s.
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Discover, especially something hidden or secret, as in This reporter has a knack for nosing out the truth . This usage alludes to following the scent of something. [Early 1600s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I will raise my children the way I want. They’re our children and it’s our choice. He needs to stick his nose out of our business.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2024
“I think he should keep his nose out of Michigan politics.”
From Salon ● May 22, 2024
These include lakeshores, battlefields, memorials, parkways, and monuments, and visiting enables you to experience America while also keeping your nose out of a stranger’s armpit.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2023
"It was only when I pulled his nose out I realised it was attached to a teddy bear's head."
From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2023
Father said, “Just try and keep your nose out of other people’s business.”
From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
