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Synonyms

bill of goods

American  
[bil uhv goodz] / ˈbɪl əv ˈgʊdz /

noun

  1. a quantity or consignment of saleable items, as an order, shipment, etc.

  2. Informal. a misrepresented, fraudulent, or defective article.


idioms

  1. sell someone a bill of goods, to defraud or deceive someone.

    He sold me a bill of goods about that used car.

Etymology

Origin of bill of goods

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

See Examples For:

Steinberg suggests I was sold a bill of goods.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 11, 2023

“You already feel like you were sold a bill of goods, like, ‘I did all the right things and now this.’

From Seattle Times Dec. 29, 2021

“You already feel like you were sold a bill of goods, like, ‘I did all the right things and now this.'

From Washington Post Dec. 29, 2021

From our different vantage points, my daughters and I look at our millennial comrades and see what the shabby bill of goods they and their boomer parents were sold has wrought.

From Salon Aug. 8, 2020

But I wasn't buying the bill of goods Shohreh Saedi was selling.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

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