barking 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. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of bark up the wrong tree
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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