as in switcheroo
US
a selling method in which a customer is attracted by the advertisement of a low-priced product but then is encouraged to buy a more expensive one
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bait and switch
Cui bono? Someone is pulling a bait and switch here.
—
Sonja Drimmer, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
And for an administration that has premised itself on efficiency, a never-ending loop of funding bait and switch does not exactly make for minimizing waste.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for bait and switch
Sonja Drimmer, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
And for an administration that has premised itself on efficiency, a never-ending loop of funding bait and switch does not exactly make for minimizing waste.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for bait and switch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bait and switch
Noun
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Subsequent reporting said that the White House observed (a) that this pause was a personal decision on Trump’s part and (b) that the decision in favor of the switcheroo was made in the morning.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
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The wealth of numbers gives all 19 performers their chance in the spotlight, and the selections are further brightened with some character switcheroos and a few revelations.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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After Kyle Kuzma missed a turnaround jumper on the next possession, Cunningham pushed the ball, wrapped it behind his back when Kevin Porter Jr. went for a steal and then floated it over Lopez for another transition bucket.—
Eric Nehm,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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For the most part, Heat players have refused to dive into the play-in logistics, which includes a three-day turnaround into what will be the season’s most important game on Wednesday night.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Will Trump Negotiate Tariffs? 90-Day Pause Issued As These Countries Ask To Bargain This season, Van Ness should be able to flip-flop spots with fellow defensive end Rashan Gary throughout a game and could draw more favorable matchups.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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During a recent editorial meeting, conversation turned to a pair of The Row flip-flops at the center of this week’s fashion discourse.—
Daniel Rodgers,
Vogue,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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That's a turnabout from 2022, as developers took advantage of falling equipment costs and, at least in some areas, alternatives to lengthy grid-connection queues.—
Alan Neuhauser,
Axios,
11 Mar. 2025
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The meetings represent a remarkable turnabout for Prince Mohammed, the oil-rich Gulf kingdom’s de facto leader who was shunned for a time in diplomatic circles.—
Ephrat Livni,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Erdoğan may need Kurdish support to run again Some analysts have said public suggestions by Erdoğan's political allies that Ocalan, the 75-year-old PKK leader, could be released in return for a renunciation of violence, form part of an effort to woo Kurdish voters.—
Willem Marx,
NPR,
1 Mar. 2025
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Enacted after the Civil War as a renunciation of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dred Scott v. Sandford, which held that Black people are not citizens of the U.S., the birthright citizenship clause has been relatively uncontested since 1868.—
Henry Gass,
The Christian Science Monitor,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Britain is not the only country pressed into making a volte-face.—
London Business School,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
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The realities of Putin’s momentum, coupled with Washington’s volte-face, have led to a clear mood shift in Kyiv.—
Daryna Mayer,
NBC News,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Subscriptions like Billie cover this for you without a second thought.—
Sabina Wizemann,
Good Housekeeping,
30 Nov. 2022
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In America, the allure of material comfort is accepted without a second thought.—
Sarah Zhang,
The Atlantic,
20 Nov. 2022
Noun
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In addition to the retraction, Wakefield's medical license was revoked due to falsified information.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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Incorporating a sewing machine motor and colored lights, the sculpture appeared to viewers as a translucent dome across which abstract images flickered, and whose retraction into a black plastic cabinet visitors could trigger by stepping on a nearby pressure-sensitive pad.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
17 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Bait and switch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bait%20and%20switch. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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