# start a fresh hare

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/start-a-fresh-hare
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To divert a discussion or argument from its conclusion.

## Examples

- Don't start a fresh hare while we are discussing the budget.
- She starts a fresh hare to avoid answering my direct question.
- Please do not start a fresh hare when we are so close to finishing.
- Just as we reached a decision, he started a fresh hare to distract everyone from the main problem.
- You always start a fresh hare about the housework whenever I try to talk to you about our monthly savings plan.
- The manager started a fresh hare about the new office furniture because he did not want to explain the recent project delays.
- I was ready to sign the contract until my lawyer started a fresh hare regarding a minor detail in the third paragraph.
- The politician started a fresh hare during the debate, successfully shifting the audience's focus away from his previous policy failures.

## Origin

The idiom arises as an extension of the earlier phrase to start a hare, derived from the vocabulary of the hunt. It denotes the act of flushing a new animal from cover, thereby diverting the hounds from their original quarry and onto a different scent.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.