hook, line, and sinker

Cultural  

1. To “fall for something hook, line, and sinker” is to be fooled completely. “Tom doubted that his ruse would fool anybody, but the boss fell for it hook, line, and sinker.” The reference is to fishing tackle.

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hook, line, and sinker Idioms  

1. Without reservation, completely, as in He swallowed our excuse hook, line, and sinker. This expression, first recorded in 1865, alludes to a fish swallowing not only the baited hook but the leaden sinker and the entire fishing line between them.

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Example Sentences

These rulings have adopted Scalia’s historical account hook, line, and sinker.

From Slate • Dec. 4, 2025

I am a believer that you should not take the sentiment data hook, line, and sinker because we know that what a consumer says and what they do can sometimes be different things.

From Barron's • Nov. 17, 2025

"And they fell for it hook, line and sinker."

From BBC • Aug. 7, 2024

She still likes to say she fell in love with the games like we all did: hook, line and sinker.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2024

And the kid had fallen for it, hook, line and sinker, although the conversation had gone back and forth for a while.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier