put (an animal) off the/someone's scent
idiom
: to cause (an animal) to lose the smell of an animal or person it has been following by sensing the animal's or person's smell
We swam across the stream in order to put the dog off our scent.
—often used figurativelyHe was being investigated by federal officials but he somehow managed to put them off the/his scent.
Examples of put (an animal) off the/someone's scent in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Still, the Wolves don’t put off the scent of a championship contender.
—
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2025
Later, the hunting Sephora will, too, be put off the scent by the captain.
—David Bahr, Forbes, 31 July 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2025
Later, the hunting Sephora will, too, be put off the scent by the captain.
—David Bahr, Forbes, 31 July 2022
Cite this Entry
“Put (an animal) off the/someone's scent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put%20%28an%20animal%29%20off%20the%2Fsomeone%27s%20scent. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share