bait and switch
noun
1
: a sales tactic in which a customer is attracted by the advertisement of a low-priced item but is then encouraged to buy a higher-priced one
2
: the ploy of offering a person something desirable to gain favor (such as political support) then thwarting expectations with something less desirable
Examples of bait and switch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Monkey isn’t really a Stand by Me–esque coming-of-age story, though — that’s part of Perkins’s bait and switch.
—
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
The bait and switch was what allegedly upset some members of the cast and crew.)
O’Connor was banned from SNL for life and was met with criticism from not only the religious right, but fellow celebrities, including Joe Pesci, who called her out the following week during his SNL monologue.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 15 Feb. 2025
Michael Soloman, one of Tennessee's leading sellers of legal cannabis, believes the state is engaging in regulatory bait and switch.
—Frank Gluck, The Tennessean, 12 Feb. 2024
But Pippa soon swings in with a big confession: These muffins were actually baked to convince Ravi to spill the deets about his dead brother.
Ravi, peeved that Pip pulled a bait and switch, tells her to leave him alone.
—Fletcher Peters, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024
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Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
The bait and switch was what allegedly upset some members of the cast and crew.)
O’Connor was banned from SNL for life and was met with criticism from not only the religious right, but fellow celebrities, including Joe Pesci, who called her out the following week during his SNL monologue.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 15 Feb. 2025
Michael Soloman, one of Tennessee's leading sellers of legal cannabis, believes the state is engaging in regulatory bait and switch.
—Frank Gluck, The Tennessean, 12 Feb. 2024
But Pippa soon swings in with a big confession: These muffins were actually baked to convince Ravi to spill the deets about his dead brother.
Ravi, peeved that Pip pulled a bait and switch, tells her to leave him alone.
—Fletcher Peters, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bait and switch
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Cite this Entry
“Bait and switch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bait%20and%20switch. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
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