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 think he should keep his nose out of Michigan politics.”
From Salon • May 22, 2024
“It’s a lot harder if you have four key donors to say to them ‘keep your nose out of this.’
From Seattle Times • Aug. 30, 2023
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
Together they took three deep breaths — in through the nose, out through the mouth, just like the child had learned.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2022
Chestnutt poked her nose out of the pouch.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
