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
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Recent Examples of bait and switch
To say this feels like a bait and switch is an understatement, and such outcomes dramatically undermine any trust built earlier.
—
Kelly Hopping, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Someone is pulling a bait and switch here.
—Sonja Drimmer, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
And for an administration that has premised itself on efficiency, a never-ending loop of funding bait and switch does not exactly make for minimizing waste.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
The Monkey isn’t really a Stand by Me–esque coming-of-age story, though — that’s part of Perkins’s bait and switch.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait and switch
Kelly Hopping, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Someone is pulling a bait and switch here.
—Sonja Drimmer, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
And for an administration that has premised itself on efficiency, a never-ending loop of funding bait and switch does not exactly make for minimizing waste.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
The Monkey isn’t really a Stand by Me–esque coming-of-age story, though — that’s part of Perkins’s bait and switch.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bait and switch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bait and switch
Noun
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But a three-dimensional person has no place in a show that could have the mid-gala switcheroo take place moments earlier.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2025
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This perspective switcheroo is lifted directly from the game, which is structured in two opposing halves.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
26 May 2025
Noun
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Tight timelines for Prop. 1 projects Ten of the Prop. 1 projects are supposed to be finished this year, including four this summer — a quick turnaround in a state where high construction costs and tricky permitting processes often lead to project delays.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
12 June 2025
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The three-day event has gathered more than 14,000 North American store leaders to hear from Starbucks management as the company embarks on a turnaround.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
11 June 2025
Noun
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Kendall Jenner may be able to afford $890 flip-flops, but most of us are not so fortunate.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
7 June 2025
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Old Navy Flip-Flop Sandals In addition to crossbody bags, Aniston likes — and maybe even loves — a pair of flip-flops.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
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The turnabout may have to do with the recent financial troubles at Tesla.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
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This is a remarkable turnabout, but its roots lie in the vaunted deal that Ramaphosa helped make to end apartheid.—
Lydia Polgreen,
Mercury News,
27 May 2025
Noun
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But Kim’s renunciation of reunification and deepening ties with Russia limit expectations for diplomacy.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
3 June 2025
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The key to making neutrality work for Ukraine is shaping it in a way that ensures that renunciation of NATO membership does not come at the expense of the country’s self-defense or its prospects for an economic and political future in the West.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
17 Mar. 2022
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 libel lawsuit was settled within weeks, CNN reported, with the website issuing a retraction and acknowledging that Kardashian had in fact been robbed at gunpoint.—
Christie D’Zurilla,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2025
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Despite the retraction by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Venable said, the report still has weight.—
Nicole Santa Cruz,
ProPublica,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bait and switch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bait%20and%20switch. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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