nose about

Idioms  

1. Also, nose around. Look for something, especially something private or hidden. For example, She was always nosing about the kitchen, looking in all the cupboards, or The detective nosed around the apartment. [Second half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Lee Knight’s “A Friend of Dorothy” may be a tad on the nose about the cultural and emotional impact of a lonely London widow on a closeted teenaged boy.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

However, some people will simply like having a nose about.

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2023

I've seen people online saying that those are all conscious nods, and in all honesty, I don't think we would consciously be that on the nose about it.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2023

I held my nose about some other elements of the package that seemed poorly targeted — such as yet another round of near-universal stimulus payments — and urged Congress to pass the bill.

From Washington Post • Feb. 3, 2022

Her eyes were so tired she was poring over the tiny print of Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes with her nose about an inch from the page.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling