Asked in: SSC Selection Post Ph-14 2026 (Graduate Level)
bark up the wrong tree in SSC previous-year questions
- SSC Selection Post Ph-14 2026 (Graduate Level) Idioms & Phrases
What does the idiom "bark up the wrong tree" mean?
Answer & explanation
Answer: A) To pursue the wrong course of action
Meaning: bark up the wrong tree = to pursue a mistaken line of thought or action; to blame or approach the wrong person *(ग़लत दिशा में प्रयास करना, ग़लत व्यक्ति पर शक/दोष करना)*.
*If you think I took your book, you are barking up the wrong tree.*
Origin.
From hunting in 19th-century America: dogs chased a raccoon up a tree and barked at its foot — but the animal had often slipped away to another tree, so the dogs kept barking at the wrong one.
Why the others are wrong.
#B To take responsibility for a mistake *(ग़लती की ज़िम्मेदारी लेना)* — the idiom is *own up* or *face the music*.
#B To succeed unexpectedly *(अप्रत्याशित रूप से सफल होना)* — the idiom is *come up trumps*.
#B To celebrate
bark up the wrong tree – questions
Has bark up the wrong tree been asked in SSC exams?
Yes – bark up the wrong tree has been asked in SSC exams: SSC Selection Post Ph-14 2026 (Graduate Level).