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
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 bait and switch here is multilevel, since the scene’s idyllic vibe is so clearly at odds with Daemon’s many, many insecurities.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2024
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
Read: The bait and switch of Trump’s tariffs Perhaps that reality is why some of the major industry unions reacted to Trump’s post with muted support.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait and switch
U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2025
The bait and switch here is multilevel, since the scene’s idyllic vibe is so clearly at odds with Daemon’s many, many insecurities.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2024
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
Read: The bait and switch of Trump’s tariffs Perhaps that reality is why some of the major industry unions reacted to Trump’s post with muted support.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait and switch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bait and switch
Noun
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There could be a 180-degree switcheroo that AI suddenly becomes a disappointment and no longer has the aura of greatness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
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Busy Philipps and Michelle Williams Relive 2017 As far as recent Oscars scandals go, the Moonlight/La La Land switcheroo was way less taxing (and had a shorter shelf life, discourse-wise) than the Slap.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
Noun
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In early October last year, after an injury to their starter, the San Francisco 49ers signed a kicker who knew a thing or two about quick turnarounds.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Aug. 2025
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The analysts expressed confidence in CEO Brian Niccol’s turnaround.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Aniston paired the hands-free style with two takes on her summer uniform — first with a black tank, cropped green pants, and flip-flops; then with layered camisoles, a black midi skirt, and black flip-flops.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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And while everyone has been obsessing over The Row’s viral Dune flip-flops, Kylie weighed in with the summer’s most outre take on the footwear trend with sky-high ERL platforms, paired with a teensie bandeau and yoga pants.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Ukrainians have felt stunned by the Trump administration's turnabout on Ukraine.—
Eleanor Beardsley,
NPR,
12 Apr. 2025
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That’s a turnabout for the governor, who had mentioned those communities last year and in other previous statements recognizing the shooting on June 12, 2016.—
Steven Lemongello,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2025
Noun
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When the late Pope Francis was elected, a dozen years ago, and famously declined the pomp and perquisites typically associated with the office, among his renunciations was the use of the papal summer residence—a seventeenth-century palazzo in Castel Gandolfo, about fifteen miles south of Rome.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
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This is largely due to the renunciation of complete sovereignty and the sharing of resources that the EU has encouraged for almost 60 years now.—
Frank-Walter Steinmeier,
Foreign Affairs,
13 June 2016
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 their response, published in the interests of fairness along with the retraction by Science, the team stated their disappointment.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
28 July 2025
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Paul said the trade group hopes Trump’s actions catalyzes growth for the industry, rather than causing further job retraction.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bait and switch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bait%20and%20switch. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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