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
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
Classical After a buzzing opening night complete with an indiscreet bait and switch—Josh Groban headlined after an ever-busy Cynthia Erivo had to withdraw—next up for the New York Philharmonic is a celebration of Afromodernism.
—The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
To be fair, the bait and switch is obvious from the jump.
—Ben Croll, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2024
The fake movie would be promoted and then audiences would get the bait and switch of a lifetime in the theater.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for bait and switch 
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Fletcher Peters, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024
Classical After a buzzing opening night complete with an indiscreet bait and switch—Josh Groban headlined after an ever-busy Cynthia Erivo had to withdraw—next up for the New York Philharmonic is a celebration of Afromodernism.
—The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
To be fair, the bait and switch is obvious from the jump.
—Ben Croll, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2024
The fake movie would be promoted and then audiences would get the bait and switch of a lifetime in the theater.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 25 July 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 26 Nov. 2024.
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