barked up the wrong tree

A form of bark up the wrong tree — To take the wrong approach to a situation; to follow a false lead; to attempt to solve a problem using mistaken assumptions about its true nature.

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of bark up the wrong tree
Cite this entry
APA

barked up the wrong tree. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barked%20up%20the%20wrong%20tree

MLA

“barked up the wrong tree.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barked%20up%20the%20wrong%20tree. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “barked up the wrong tree,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barked%20up%20the%20wrong%20tree.

Source: barked up the wrong tree on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.