smoke out

verb

1. to subject to smoke in order to drive out of hiding
2. to bring into the open; expose to the public

   they smoked out the plot

Idioms and Phrases

Expose, reveal, bring to public view, as in Reporters thrive on smoking out a scandal . This expression alludes to driving a person or animal out of a hiding place by filling it with smoke. [Late 1500s]

Example Sentences

They said the SAT will smoke out intelligent students from humble circumstances.

From The Daily Beast

One landlord even paid somebody to hurl a Molotov cocktail into an apartment just to smoke out tenants and jack up rents.

From The Daily Beast

I screamed that at him, I was fuming mad, that if I was a cartoon you could actually see me blowing smoke out of my ears.

From The Daily Beast

Boulder for instance, has an annual smoke-out at the University of Colorado that routinely draws about 15,000 people.

From The Daily Beast

There are, however, some lengths to which Redstone won't resort in trying to smoke out the leakers.

From The Daily Beast

A mushir (marshal) would find it derogatory to his dignity to smoke out of a stem less than two yards in length.

From Project Gutenberg

It was a rather depressed stock-hand, name of Flood, who blew cigarette smoke out over the brow of Writing-Stone that evening.

From Project Gutenberg

To be sure, it is a horrible thing blowing smoke out; but every man needs something to quiet him—as, beating with his feet.'

From Project Gutenberg

But Amy insisted upon opening one of the windows and so getting more of the smoke out of the long room.

From Project Gutenberg

I laid there, and had a good rest and a smoke out of my pipe, looking away into the sky; not a cloud in it.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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