red herring
noun
a smoked herring.
red herrings
-
pluralof red herring.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Meanwhile, the audience is being thrown enough red herrings to be barking like seals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
“There were a lot more dead ends and red herrings that would bog down readers,” Hogan observes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2025
More broadly, he cautions, many antibodies will prove to be red herrings that have nothing to do with disease processes.
From Science Magazine ● May 15, 2024
“The pace is quick, the red herrings are plentiful, and Annie’s growth from timid wannabe writer to confident sleuth is beautifully rendered,” reads a Publishers Weekly review.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 13, 2024
But there was a great deal to carry, and as she did not know which were the true ingredients for the visibilizer and which were the red herrings, nothing could be left behind.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
