take for a ride

idiomatic phrase

1
informal : to cheat or trick (someone)
You can get sucked into a scheme that will cost you dearly. … You can get suckered, swindled, taken for a rideChristianity
"So much for good-looking, slick-talking hometown boys," says Betty Bean. "They always end up taking you for a ride."Jennet Conant
2
informal : to murder (someone)
There had been previous killings, but Brent was the first to be taken for a ride in true gangster style. Police said his shooting had the earmarks of a professional job.Ian Macdonald and Betty O'Keefe
Among the secret letters sent to The Mirror was a death threat … . It warns "we will be waiting for you when you get out" and says Brady will be "taken for a little ride to the moors".Sydney Young

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of take for a ride was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near take for a ride

Cite this Entry

“Take for a ride.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20for%20a%20ride. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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