lead by the nose
To cause to follow blindly.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Don't let him lead you by the nose.”
“She leads her younger brother by the nose during their games.”
“The dishonest salesman tried to lead the customer by the nose into buying an expensive car.”
“The clever marketing team led the public by the nose until everyone believed their sugary drink was actually a health product.”
“The charismatic leader managed to lead his followers by the nose, convincing them to ignore the obvious flaws in his plan.”
The figurative use is a metaphorical extension of the literal practice of controlling livestock. A handler governs a large animal by gripping its nose or, more effectively, by attaching a lead to a nose ring. The animal is moved by its most sensitive point, ensuring that where the nose is directed, the rest of the beast is obliged to follow.
The term also draws from the custom of physically pushing an animal's nose into water or feed to encourage it to drink or eat. It describes a state of total compliance, wherein the one being led has surrendered all direction to the one holding the lead.
- 01
all roads lead to Rome
Different paths can take one to the same goal.
- 02
banana nose
A large, unusually long nose.
- 03
button nose
A nose with a small size and a relatively flat, round shape, usually considered to be dainty or cute in appearance.
- 04
camel's nose
A situation where the permitting of some small act will lead to a larger undesirable act or circumstance.
- 05
count noses
To count people one at a time.
- 06
cut off one's nose to spite one's face
To harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary.
- 07
get the lead out
To go faster; to hurry up.
- 08
give someone a bloody nose
To defeat or frustrate someone, but without doing any permanent damage.
Last updated August 10, 2026