bait and switch

noun

1

: a sales tactic in which a customer is attracted by the advertisement of a low-priced item but is then encouraged to buy a higher-priced one

2

: the ploy of offering a person something desirable to gain favor (such as political support) then thwarting expectations with something less desirable

Examples of bait and switch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Michael Soloman, one of Tennessee's leading sellers of legal cannabis, believes the state is engaging in regulatory bait and switch. —Frank Gluck, The Tennessean, 12 Feb. 2024

But Pippa soon swings in with a big confession: These muffins were actually baked to convince Ravi to spill the deets about his dead brother. Ravi, peeved that Pip pulled a bait and switch, tells her to leave him alone. —Fletcher Peters, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024

Classical After a buzzing opening night complete with an indiscreet bait and switch—Josh Groban headlined after an ever-busy Cynthia Erivo had to withdraw—next up for the New York Philharmonic is a celebration of Afromodernism. —The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024

To be fair, the bait and switch is obvious from the jump. —Ben Croll, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

bait and switch

noun

: a fraudulent or deceptive sales practice in which a purchaser is attracted by advertisement of a low-priced item but then is encouraged to purchase a higher-priced one

called also bait advertising