Get wind of

Get wind of is an interesting idiom. We will examine the meaning of the common idiom get wind of, where it came from, and some examples of its idiomatic usage in sentences.

To get wind of something means to hear a rumor, to find out information through unofficial channels, to hear about a secret before others are aware of the information. The expression get wind of has been in use since the first half of the 1800s and is an allusion to the fact that animals become aware of predators and prey by sensing a scent on the wind. Hunters approach their prey from downwind, so that their sent will travel away from the intended target rather than toward it. Related phrases are gets wind of, got wind of, gotten wind of, getting wind of.

Examples

There was no advance notice of the meeting; reporters didn’t get wind of it till the governor’s daily schedule was emailed at 9:21 p.m. (Tallahassee Democrat)

Chipz’s team is ever-expanding as more investors and experienced blockchain think tanks get wind of the platform’s attractive future business model. (Financial Post)

The socially isolated but sharp-eyed Sofia works to uncover the hacker’s identity – and we got wind of who was behind it at the end of the first series. (Manchester Evening News)