Synonyms

bait-and-switch

American

[beyt-n-swich] / ˈbeɪt nˈswɪtʃ /

adjective

denoting a deceptive method of selling, by which customers, attracted to a store by sale items, are told either that the advertised bargain item is out of stock or is inferior to a higher-priced item that is available.

noun

an act or instance of such practice.

bait and switch Idioms

A deceptive commercial practice in which customers are induced to visit a store by an advertised sale item and then are told that it is out of stock or that it is far inferior to some more expensive item. For example, I won't buy a car from this outfit; they're notorious for their bait and switch tactics. The verb to bait has meant to supply a hook or trap with a morsel of food so as to attract a fish or animal since about 1300; the verb to switch has meant to change, alter, or transfer from one thing to another since the 1890s. The pairing of the two, however, dates only from the 1920s, although the practice is surely much older. It is called switch-selling in Britain.

Etymology

Origin of bait-and-switch

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The stylistic bait-and-switch doesn’t just hamper the film’s momentum; it reveals just how silly the entire endeavor up until the climax has been.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

If a dealership lists a fair, all-in price online, they risk looking more expensive than a competitor who uses deceptive bait-and-switch pricing to lure customers in.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026

Some viewers took to social media to complain about what they saw as a bait-and-switch, or to relay that their fellow partygoers had let out collective groans and boos at the end of the ad.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

A couple initially expecting to pay less than £50 for a locksmith ended up victims of a "bait-and-switch scam" which ended up costing them more than £5,000, an investigation has found.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

One strategy is the bait-and-switch, where a host will advertise that a property is somewhere near the border of Los Angeles, such as West Hollywood, and thus not subject to L.A.’s stringent rules.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023