wipe someone's nose: meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  Globalneutralliteral
  • To clean or dry another person's nose, removing mucus, dirt, or other discharge.

  Examples

  Beta

  • After little Timmy sneezed, his mom quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe his nose clean.

    Después de que el pequeño Timmy estornudó, su mamá rápidamente tomó un pañuelo para limpiar su nariz.

  • Could you please wipe the baby's nose? It's all runny from the cold.

    ¿Podrías limpiar la nariz del bebé? Está toda mocosa por el resfriado.

  • Grandpa gently wiped her nose with a soft cloth to make sure she was comfortable.

    El abuelo le limpió suavemente la nariz con un paño suave para asegurarse de que estuviera cómoda.

  • The nurse wiped the patient's nose after the surgery to keep the area clean.

    La enfermera limpió la nariz del paciente después de la cirugía para mantener el área limpia.

• 2.

  Chiefly North American and British informal usageinformalcolloquialfigurative
  • To humiliate, rebuke, or defeat someone in a way that emphasizes their error or failure; similar in force to 'rub someone's nose in it' (colloquial).

  Examples

  Beta

  • When Sarah pointed out Tom's mistake in front of everyone, she really wiped his nose.

    Cuando Sarah señaló el error de Tom frente a todos, realmente lo humilló.

  • Don't expect to win the debate; the other team will wipe your nose without mercy.

    No esperes ganar el debate; el otro equipo te humillará sin piedad.

  • He was so confident until his opponent wiped his nose in the final round.

    Él estaba tan confiado hasta que su oponente lo humilló en la ronda final.