nose around
phrasal verb
nosed around; nosing around; noses around
: to search for something (such as private or hidden information) in usually a quiet or secret way
She caught him nosing around in her papers/office.
The police nosed around the property for a while, but they didn't find anything.
Examples of nose around in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tabloid reporters and true-crime enthusiasts nosed around the yard where the police had gathered to call out to Sheila.
—
Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
That is, until a true-crime podcaster comes nosing around.
—Kathryn Shattuck, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Doctors usually repair the lip and nose around 3 to 6 months, close the palate around 9 to 18 months and then wait to do a bone graft until children are about 5 to 11 years old, though there is debate about when in that age range is best.
—Megan Rose, ProPublica, 6 Mar. 2024
One of them nosed around the trap and tentatively entered it.
—Jonathan Franzen, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023
Would Rory and Lorelai, devoted high-culture haters who prefer ordering pizza and mainlining Cop Rock to nosing around museums, ever be caught dead here?
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2023
Then there are four slightly older puppies, pit bull mixes probably, whose eyes are still tightly shut, futilely nosing around the crate for their mother who never made it to the shelter.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2023
Bulldozers and heavy machinery have nosed around the surrounding district for years, demolishing housing in working-class neighborhoods, apparently to make way for new construction.
—Vivian Yee, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2023
Recently, Lowe invited the famous Belmont Goats over to nose around.
—Jeastman, oregonlive, 11 Aug. 2023
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Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
That is, until a true-crime podcaster comes nosing around.
—Kathryn Shattuck, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Doctors usually repair the lip and nose around 3 to 6 months, close the palate around 9 to 18 months and then wait to do a bone graft until children are about 5 to 11 years old, though there is debate about when in that age range is best.
—Megan Rose, ProPublica, 6 Mar. 2024
One of them nosed around the trap and tentatively entered it.
—Jonathan Franzen, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023
Would Rory and Lorelai, devoted high-culture haters who prefer ordering pizza and mainlining Cop Rock to nosing around museums, ever be caught dead here?
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2023
Then there are four slightly older puppies, pit bull mixes probably, whose eyes are still tightly shut, futilely nosing around the crate for their mother who never made it to the shelter.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2023
Bulldozers and heavy machinery have nosed around the surrounding district for years, demolishing housing in working-class neighborhoods, apparently to make way for new construction.
—Vivian Yee, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2023
Recently, Lowe invited the famous Belmont Goats over to nose around.
—Jeastman, oregonlive, 11 Aug. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Nose around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nose%20around. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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