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to nose

to nose

1 7.6
To beat someone by a very small margin
  • verb
  • /noʊz/
  • Informal
: ganar por la mínima
  • I nosed out Fred by six votes.
  • nosed ahead

Examples

  • Casimir doubled the thunderous rhythm of his paws and nosed past Lukas.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Taxis vied for inches of space, nosing themselves into impossibly small channels between buses and delivery trucks.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • In the final lap, she managed to nose out her competitor by a fraction of a second.

  • He was determined to nose ahead of the other candidates in the election.

  • After a tough debate, the senator managed to nose out his opponent by just a few points.

Synonyms

to pip
vsto nose
  • Literature
1 8.2

To beat someone by a very small margin

is the same meaning but uses a slightly longer, more standard form

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Fail to win a game or contest

To not keep up with others or a schedule

Idioms

71 6.4

Happens very near someone when they do not notice

on the nose
  • Informal
18 5.9

Exactly correct in every detail

by a nose
  • Informal
7 4.9

To win with a very small lead in a race or contest

5 8.0

Give much more money than normal for something

4 7.7

Make someone do what you want without them noticing

4 6.3

To work hard for a long time without stopping

3 9.2

Feeling annoyed because someone ignored you or treated you badly

It does not bother me if something happens

Deliberately do something that hurts you more than the person you want to punish

the nose knows
  • Informal
1 9.8

To trust a feeling that something is wrong

1 9.9

A phrase people say to make fun of someone who brags

1 7.5

To do something unpleasant because it is necessary

To avoid trouble and not attract bad attention

To work hard for a long time on a difficult task without stopping

8.2

To go to the restroom to fix makeup or hair as a polite excuse

To think about things beyond your own immediate needs

9.2

To show open disrespect by refusing to follow rules or customs

To show you think something is not good enough

Phrasal Verbs

to brown-nose
  • Offensive
5 8.2

To flatter someone in power without meaning it to get their favor

To make a person's nose feel slightly itchy so they want to sneeze

2 8.0

To get involved in other people's business when not wanted

to nose out
  • Informal
1 6.9

Find something after careful searching

1 7.3

To try to take part in other people's business without being asked

1 5.3

To put a finger in your nose to remove mucus

To get involved in other people's business without being asked

To move the nose so it makes small lines to show you do not like something

Compounds

nose job
  • Informal
33 4.6

An operation to change the shape of the nose to make it look better

18 4.1

A nose injury that makes blood come out or a small defeat for someone

12 3.8

A small metal piece worn through the nose for decoration or to control an animal

8 5.3

A sudden steep fall that often happens to a plane with its front pointing down or to prices

nose candy
  • NSFW
3 9.9

An illegal white drug that people inhale through the nose

nose cone
  • Specialized
3 6.5

The pointed front part of a rocket, missile, or plane that protects important parts and reduces air resistance during flight

2 7.5

A nose with a high, slightly curved bridge that gives a strong profile

1 5.1

A short, flat nose with the tip turned up

1 4.1

Having a rounded end often found on tools like scissors

camel's nose
  • Informal
1 9.9

A small first step that leads to bigger unwanted demands

1 9.5

A small flute played by blowing air through the nose

toffee-nose
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who thinks they are better than others

1 6.7

A nose curved downward like a hawk's beak

A doctor who treats problems of the ear, nose, and throat

bull nose
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A pig disease causing swelling and redness of the nose

potato nose
  • Informal
1 9.9

A large red round nose with small red lines from blood vessels

1 4.1

A quick check of how many people are present to see attendance or support

nose-pick
  • Offensive
1 8.6

Putting a finger inside your nose or a person who does this

round-nose
  • Specialized
1 4.9

Pliers with smooth rounded jaws used to bend wire and make loops

1 5.1

A very strong sense of smell that notices faint scents

1 9.9

A large red nose with visible small blood vessels often caused by heavy drinking

1 9.9

The fatty tail of a cooked bird like a chicken or turkey

nose drops
  • NSFW
1 9.9

A street name for the illegal drug heroin

A red, swollen nose with small broken veins, often from heavy drinking

hammer nose
  • Specialized
9.9

An enlarged red nose with visible blood vessels that often comes from heavy drinking

nose test
  • Informal
6.1

To use smell or instinct to check if something seems right

round-nose
  • Specialized
6.0

A bullet with a rounded tip that is less likely to go through things

rum nose
  • Archaic
9.9

A red, swollen nose with small red veins, often linked to heavy drinking

9.6

A fatty tail end of a cooked chicken or turkey that many people like to eat

toper's nose
  • Archaic
9.9

A nose that becomes large and red with visible veins from long heavy drinking

How Close

to nose
  • Informal
1 7.6
edge
333 3.8
to beat
∞ 1.4
to trounce
18 7.5

Surface Forms

nose infinitive
nosed past
nosed past participle
nosing present participle
noses third person singular

Etymology

To nose someone in a race means to beat them by the forward part, like a head or nose crossing first, from the same old root nosu. That's why to nose an opponent means to win by a very small margin.