keep one's nose clean

verb

To stay out of trouble, especially by avoiding unlawful behavior.

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Meanings

verbkeep one's nose clean (third-person singular simple present keeps one's nose clean, present participle keeping one's nose clean, simple past and past participle kept one's nose clean)

present singular third person keeps one's nose clean · participle present keeping one's nose clean · participle past kept one's nose clean · past kept one's nose clean

  1. idiomaticTo stay out of trouble, especially by avoiding unlawful behavior.

    They tell us, "Keep your nose clean and you'll no doubt make a parole." So we keep our noses very clean.

    1947, American Correctional Association, American Journal of Correction, page 6
    1 more example

    Alaska Congressman Don Young . . . spent a huge share of his campaign donations on legal fees to keep his nose clean in the face of an FBI investigation into his dealings.

    2008 November 5, Nathan Thornburgh, “Ted Stevens Sins, and (Likely) Wins”, in TIME, archived from the original on 26 Aug 2013, retrieved 25 Aug 2013
Cite this entry
APA

keep one's nose clean. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20one's%20nose%20clean

MLA

“keep one's nose clean.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20one's%20nose%20clean. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “keep one's nose clean,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20one's%20nose%20clean.

Source: keep one's nose clean on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.