From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthrow/put somebody off the scentthrow/put somebody off the scentESCAPEto give someone false information to prevent them from catching you or discovering something Was he trying to put me off the scent because I had come too close to the truth? → scent
Examples from the Corpus
throw/put somebody off the scent• The aspirant towards a more spiritual way of life will be thrown entirely off the scent.• That put them off the scent.• But he'd got to put Graham off the scent.• And why should I try to throw you off the scent?• Or were they trying to put him off the scent? 