snipe hunt

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snipe hunt

/ˈsnaɪpˌhʌnt/ UK, US

Where it comes from

* snipe + hunt

* Although snipe are an actual family of birds, a snipe hunt was originally a quest for an imaginary creature whose description varies.

noun snipe hunts

idiomatic A prank in which a gullible victim is sent off on a fruitless search for a nonexistent item. And you asked Charles Briggs for the name of the man who bought the secret, and he gives you a legend. A man who might not even exist. You know what, this is a snipe hunt.
Similar: snark hunt, fool's errand, wild goose chase

verb snipe hunts · snipe hunting · snipe hunted

intransitive To participate, as the gullible victim, in a snipe hunt.

Translations

Every language

noun prank

Português	caça aos gambozinos
Français	chasse au dahu
עברית	מרדף סרק, מרדף שווא, שליחות סרק, שליחות שווא, רדיפה אחרי הרוח

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MLA

"snipe hunt." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/snipe%20hunt. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

snipe hunt. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/snipe%20hunt

Chicago

"snipe hunt." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/snipe%20hunt.

BibTeX

@misc{snipe_hunt_2026,
  title = {snipe hunt},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/snipe%20hunt},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}