nose around
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle around
Meanings
Search through someone's things to discover information
Why “around”? Looking or trying around means checking many points before choosing one.
“She caught him nosing around her desk.”
“The reporter was nosing around the office files.”
Test yourself
“She caught him nosing around her desk.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
look around
Same around pattern: search
Glance in every direction; Move your eyes to look at all parts of a place; Visit a place to see what is there, especially before deciding to buy
play around
Same around pattern: search
Experiment in a casual way; Have casual romantic or sexual affairs
poke around
Same around pattern: search
Look around casually or curiously
shop around
Same around pattern: search
Compare prices in different shops before buying
Practice “nose around” in Sink In
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