throw off the trail
To misguide.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He lied to throw the police off the trail.”
“The spy left fake footprints in the snow to throw the guards off the trail.”
“By planting misleading evidence at the crime scene, the clever thief successfully threw the investigators off the trail for several weeks.”
- 01
blaze a trail
To show the way or proceed rapidly.
- 02
hike the Appalachian Trail
To engage in an extramarital affair.
- 03
hot on the trail
Synonym of hot on someone's heels.
- 04
lock someone up and throw away the key
To lock someone up in prison indefinitely.
- 05
paper trail
A written record, history, or collection of evidence.
- 06
sawdust trail
The route followed by an itinerant Christian preacher in the United States.
- 07
stone's throw
A short distance, roughly equivalent to how far a person can throw a stone.
- 08
throw a bone to
To provide support or assistance to, especially in one particular way or to a limited extent; to make a concession to.
Last updated August 10, 2026