# throw off the trail

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/throw-off-the-trail
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To misguide.

## Examples

- 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.

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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.