bait and switch

noun

Definition of bait and switchnext
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

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bait and switch The company had long promised the protection as a default for Instagram chat, and experts fear that the bait and switch could set a dangerous precedent in the tech industry. — Matt Burgess, Wired News, 21 Mar. 2026 But in classic O’Brien fashion, the sincerity turned out to be a bait and switch that gave rise to a bit of absurdist flight of fancy. — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026 Everything was back to normal by the end of the episode, but this was anything but a mere bait and switch. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Mar. 2026 Democrats worry there's a chance this option is a bait and switch, Grisales says. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bait and switch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bait and switch
  1. switcheroo
  2. turnaround
  3. flip-flop
  4. turnabout
  5. renunciation
  6. volte-face
  7. second thought
  8. retraction
Noun
  • All told the school estimates more than 250 staffers spent some 11,000 hours in meetings, photo shoots and sessions with internal groups, individual teams, adidas partners and campus stakeholders to pull off the switcheroo.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The laziness of the old-fashioned suitcase switcheroo device is part of the movie’s charm.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of switcheroo
Noun
  • Concurrently, Maryland moved the Preakness to May 23, 2027, extending the Derby-Preakness gap to three weeks, yet creating a tight 13-day turnaround before the Belmont.
    — Nicole Kraft, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Lutsen, about 93 miles north of Duluth, is a logical turnaround point for those who want to experience a good chunk of Highway 61 but not make the entire trip to the Canadian border.
    — Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of turnaround
Noun
  • Because of the general grit of city life, flip-flops have never felt practical.
    — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Dua Lipa was spotted wearing the white Brazil Logo flip-flops with a sexy, shoulder-baring dress.
    — Kim Grundy, InStyle, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of flip-flop
Noun
  • The market’s message is often beguiling and inscrutable, with frequent overshoots and crowd-humiliating turnabouts that would be so satisfying to see coming in advance.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Abbott’s campaign season turnabout on data centers doesn’t seem to have soothed many.
    — Marc Levy, Fortune, 23 July 2026
Definition of turnabout
Noun
  • This renunciation has had little impact on their progeny, who already studied them for years and viewed their content as a portrait of a viable future.
    — Margaux MacColl, Vanity Fair, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Then, over the following years, came sustainability and strict reuse and ascetic renunciation, and today, finally, its photo series and articles advocated for a mild, slightly quirky anticapitalist metaphysics.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
Definition of renunciation
Noun
  • The volte-face in transfer strategy is not necessarily negative.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • This volte-face was not just about electoral politics.
    — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2026
Definition of volte-face
Noun
  • Subscriptions like Billie cover this for you without a second thought.
    — Sabina Wizemann, Good Housekeeping, 30 Nov. 2022
  • In America, the allure of material comfort is accepted without a second thought.
    — Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2022
Definition of second thought
Noun
  • The brother, Bobby Valli, has posted a retraction and apology.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Advertisement Despite its retraction nearly three months later, Blanche indicated amid his Judiciary hearing last month that there may be avenues for the settlement to proceed in the future, such as advancing through Congress.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of retraction

Browse Nearby Words

bait
bait and switch
bait and switches
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bait and switch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bait%20and%20switch. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All