false lead
Investigative wild goose
A false lead is information that seems promising but ultimately proves misleading or worthless.
Detectives follow false leads that take them away from the real culprit.
Writers plant false leads to misdirect readers.
The anonymous tip turned out to be a false lead.
In journalism or research, a false lead wastes time pursuing sources or hypotheses that go nowhere.
- red herringIntentional misleading distraction
- decoyFalse target for misdirection
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
- dead endPassage without outlet
- garden pathPaved way through plantings
wild goose chase · chasing shadows · clue · diversion · ruse · detective · mystery · suspect · trail · scent · cold case · crime scene · bait · trap · deception · wrong track · blind alley · smokescreen
- crime investigationdetective, whodunit, investigation, detectives, investigator
- mystery elementsclues, red herring, suspense, plot twist, misdirection
- suspensesuspense, suspenseful, tension, nail-biter, nail-biting
- thriller elementstwists, suspense, tension, anticipation, cliffhanger
- thriller tropesplot twist, red herring, cliffhanger, whodunit, femme fatale
- cryptic puzzlesriddle, cipher, code, cryptogram, enigma
false leadreal evidence
Tangible objects proving facts
hard evidence · proof · conclusive evidence · material evidence · corroborating evidence
false, lead, falsely, falseness, falsify, falsification, falsity, falsehood, leads