throw dust in (one's) eyes

throw dust in (one's) eyes

To mislead or deceive someone by presenting or introducing distracting or obfuscating information. It is a common tactic of despotic governments to throw dust in our eyes with fear and incitements to hatred in order to keep us from questioning their consolidation of power.

See also: dust, eye, throw

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

throw dust in someone's eyes

Mislead someone, as in The governor's press aide threw dust in their eyes, talking about a flight at the airport when he was heading for the highway . This metaphoric expression alludes to throwing dust or sand in the air to confuse a pursuing enemy. [Mid-1700s]

See also: dust, eye, throw

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

throw dust in someone's eyes

mislead someone by misrepresentation or diverting attention from a point.

See also: dust, eye, throw

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017