顺藤摸瓜 (shùn téng mō guā) — to track down someone or something by following clues; to investigate by following a lead
Definition
A chengyu meaning 'follow the vine to find the melon' — track something down by following a chain of clues, one lead to the next. Implies detective-style investigation where each clue leads to the next.
idiom
to track down someone or something by following cluesto investigate by following a lead
Examples
- 顺藤摸瓜，。Jǐng chá tōng guò jiān kòng lù xiàng shùn téng mō guā, zuì zhōng zhuā zhù le xiǎo tōu.The police followed clues from surveillance footage and eventually caught the thief.
- 顺藤摸瓜，。Jì zhě shùn téng mō guā, fā xiàn le zhè jiā gōng sī bèi hòu de fēi fǎ jiāo yì.The journalist followed the clues and uncovered the illegal transactions behind this company.
- 顺藤摸瓜，。Rú guǒ nǐ shùn téng mō guā, jiù néng zhǎo dào wèn tí de gēn yuán.If you follow the clues, you can find the root of the problem.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.