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Synonyms

lead by the nose

Idioms  

  1. Dominate or control someone, as in “The Moor ... will tenderly be led by the nose as asses are” (Shakespeare, Othello, 1:3). This expression alludes to an animal being led by a ring passed through its nostrils. [Late 1500s]

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.

“You’re just being led by the nose, or the ears. The skill is not to interfere with it too much.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The defence relied upon proving the group had been led by the nose by officials.

From BBC

"Yet again we have no business case for East-West Rail," he said, accusing the Treasury of being "led by the nose" in to the announcement.

From BBC

As higher order animals, we are often led by the nose beyond our understanding.

From Salon

Mr. Sanger argued Wikipedia readers “do not want to be led by the nose” before criticizing the website for not allowing content that cites outlets like the populist British tabloid The Daily Mail.

From Washington Times

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.