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Beware of Greeks bearing gifts

Cultural  

  1. Do not trust enemies who bring you presents — they could very well be playing a trick. The saying is adapted from the words of Laocoon in the story of the Trojan horse.

Example Sentences

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Wagging a finger playfully, Haig continued, "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts."

From Time Magazine Archive

Unfortunately, the L.A.O.O.C. forgot a lesson as old as the Iliad: Beware of Greeks bearing gifts or, in this case, guarding traditions.

From Time Magazine Archive

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.