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

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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
  • The laziness of the old-fashioned suitcase switcheroo device is part of the movie’s charm.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • The switcheroo that the director pulls between the two protagonists, starting her film with Said but then losing him for a chunk of the running time, can also prove a bit aggravating, especially because actor Letifov (who was also in Western) has such a photogenic face.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2026
Definition of switcheroo
Noun
  • The company is critical, the brand is too strong, and the turnaround is too relevant to ignore.
    — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Healthcare, turnarounds and fair wages are all safeguards for workers to ensure that they are given a high quality of life.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2026
Definition of turnaround
Noun
  • Once outside, Parks fishes a pair of blue flip-flops out of her purse and changes out of her heels.
    — Clio Chang, Curbed, 14 July 2026
  • With a heel and a cute little vintage top (or a big white button-up), or a white tank and black flip-flops.
    — Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 14 July 2026
Definition of flip-flop
Noun
  • Newsom hailed the changes, but environmental groups are incensed at the turnabout.
    — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
  • The jump over recent days marked a sudden turnabout for oil prices, which account for a large share of the cost of auto gasoline.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 14 July 2026
Definition of turnabout
Noun
  • Rules have changed over decades, so some claims succeed while others face hurdles like formal renunciation.
    — Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • Carney is a moralist, a filmmaker of fidelity—and of renunciation, depicting the romantic near-misses and what-ifs that his characters leave behind.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Definition of renunciation
Noun
  • Another meeting was scheduled for next week with the club’s media team and, though Pereira has experience of working with Marinakis previously at Olympiacos in Greece, the whole volte-face appears to have completely caught him out.
    — Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 1 July 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 retraction has reportedly left Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, furious as well.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 7 July 2026
  • Gingras and Khelfaoui suspect the retraction decision was made around this time.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 28 June 2026
Definition of retraction

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Cite this Entry

“Bait and switch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bait%20and%20switch. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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