nose out

verb

nosed out; nosing out; noses out

transitive verb

1
: to discover often by prying
2
: to defeat or surpass by a narrow margin

Examples of nose out in a Sentence

independent investigators eventually nosed out proof of White House wrongdoing
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Gotham/Getty/GC Images A listing photo shows how the house noses out over the beach even farther than its neighbors. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2024 In 2009, her own dog, Daisy, nudged her repeatedly in the chest, nosing out a lump that turned out to be breast cancer. Megan Molteni, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2018 Australians, the thinking goes, should keep their noses out of China’s business, both inside its borders and around its coastlines, and accept that the future Asian order will be centered on Beijing. Michael Fullilove, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017 The two men agree on at least one point: Both concede the government should keep its nose out of people’s romantic relationships. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 13 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for nose out 

Word History

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nose out was in 1795

Dictionary Entries Near nose out

Cite this Entry

“Nose out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nose%20out. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

nose out

verb
: to defeat by a narrow margin
the home team barely nosed out the visitors
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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