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
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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
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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 14 Jul. 2025.
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