rise to the bait

1. Be tempted by or react to an enticement, as in We told him there'd be lots of single young women at the party, and he rose to the bait. Likening a fish rising to bait to human behavior dates from the late 1500s.

Example Sentences

Benn did not rise to the bait of Eubank, letting his promoter do most of the talking.

Read more on BBC

But Jefferson would not rise to the bait, convinced as he was after his earlier exchange with Abigail that he had already made a heroic effort that had been summarily rejected.

Read more on Literature

While Hannity may have been trying to elicit a bigger, more combative reaction from the actor, Penn did not rise to the bait.

Read more on Salon

“I’ve studied the way they make propaganda and I know that the only way out is to be as calm and assertive as possible and not rise to the bait.”

Read more on Washington Post

The Biden supporters largely refused to rise to the bait, but were visibly upset.

Read more on The Guardian