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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Recent Examples of bait and switch
Medicare Advantage is a bait and switch scam & betrayal.
—
Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
The first movie offered a bit of a bait and switch with a plot about a group of unlikely allies trying to survive a zombie outbreak evolving into something else entirely.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 June 2025
Gloria’s key allies in this bait and switch were Councilmembers Joe LaCava and Sean Elo-Rivera.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2025
The lunar elixir, from the Ugly Delicious section of Fura’s Journal of Future Foods menu highlighting retail-imperfect ingredients, was a sensory bait and switch.
—Adam Erace, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait and switch
Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
The first movie offered a bit of a bait and switch with a plot about a group of unlikely allies trying to survive a zombie outbreak evolving into something else entirely.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 June 2025
Gloria’s key allies in this bait and switch were Councilmembers Joe LaCava and Sean Elo-Rivera.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2025
The lunar elixir, from the Ugly Delicious section of Fura’s Journal of Future Foods menu highlighting retail-imperfect ingredients, was a sensory bait and switch.
—Adam Erace, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait and switch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bait and switch
Noun
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The pet parent shared video evidence of the switcheroo on TikTok (@autmuns_zoo24), where the clip went viral, amassing over 1 million views.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
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Last week was a mixed bag of untimely injuries, the ole switcheroo and just some men underperforming.—
Gladys Louise Tyler,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Council members said they were surprised by the quick turnaround and that they hadn't been shown the fine print of how the mayor had carved out this fee in his proposal.—
Vanessa Swales,
jsonline.com,
9 Oct. 2025
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Wilson got the ball, drove left, spun back right and launched a seven-foot turnaround jumper into history.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While prominently displayed, flip-flops weren’t the only shoes on the Balenciaga runway.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
6 Oct. 2025
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Adams stopped short of endorsing Mamdani, Cuomo or Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, instead issuing a warning to voters about radical ideals and flip-flopping candidates.—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The plunge – just the latest in a string of sales drops for Musk’s once-hot EV maker – underscores the turnabout in Tesla’s fortunes.—
Ryan Hogg,
CNN Money,
28 Aug. 2025
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His turnabout occurred as DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet were gathering in Orlando at the Florida Highway Patrol Troop D Headquarters for a press conference at which the governor announced the creation of a new immigration enforcement unit within the patrol.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Sweet Dove Died is considered Pym’s most Jamesian work and there are inflections of the Master in the themes of falling out of love, renunciation, and collecting—the pursuit of beauty falling short.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
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Oddly, the move comes not as a renunciation but as a new adventure.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
15 Aug. 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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The retraction is just the latest blow for a product that has been a darling of celebrities and influencers.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
5 Oct. 2025
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Higher interest rates, a capital market retraction and a push by almost all venture capital into artificial intelligence collectively hit property tech hard.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bait and switch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bait%20and%20switch. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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