nose around

nose around

To make observations or look through things, often subtly or stealthily, in an attempt to discover something. The phrase sometimes but not always implies that someone is prying into something that is not their business. Quit nosing around in my room! Mom, he's looking through my drawers again! I nosed around in the old file cabinets, but I wasn't able to find any of the documents we're looking for.

See also: around, nose

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

nose around (something)

to pry into something; to snoop around something. I caught her nosing around my desk. Wally is always nosing around.

See also: around, nose

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.