nose out

verb

1. to discover by smelling

2. to discover by cunning or persistence

   the reporter managed to nose out a few facts

3. informal,  to beat by a narrow margin

   he was nosed out of first place by the champion

Idioms and Phrases

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.

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

"I agree there is an issue of sorts and I see why it might put people's noses out of joint, but there has to be a compromise," she told the BBC.

From BBC

The party has soared during his tenure, but it is also true that the now former chairman put rather a lot of noses out of joint within Reform.

From BBC

Mr Miller calls this a technology that is “only starting to poke its nose out behind the door” within different segments of the publishing industry.

From BBC

“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

“I think he should keep his nose out of Michigan politics.”

From Salon

Related Words

• catch 
• come upon 
• design 
• detect 
• determine 
• devise 
• disclose 
• explore 
• hear 
• identify 
• invent 
• learn 
• locate 
• notice 
• observe 
• realize 
• recognize 
• reveal 
• see 
• spot