barked up the wrong tree
Pursued wrong suspect
To bark up the wrong tree is to pursue a mistaken course of action or direct effort toward the wrong target.
The phrase comes from hunting dogs that chase prey up a tree, then bark at the base—sometimes after the animal has escaped to another tree.
If you think I took your keys, you're barking up the wrong tree.
- miscommunicationFailed exchange of meaning
- misunderstandingFailure to grasp meaning
- jumped to conclusionsFormed opinions prematurely
- miscalculationError in estimation
- missed the markFailed to achieve goal
mistake · off base · blunder · misjudgment · wild goose chase · accusation · false accusation · pointing fingers · confusion · misinterpretation · error · off target · misrepresentation · misdirected · oversight · misinformation · faux pas · scapegoat
barked up the wrong treeon the right track
Proceeding toward success
hit the nail on the head · spot on · on target · nailed it · got it right
barked, barking, wrong, wrongly, wronged, wronging, wrongs, wrongful, wrongfully