rise to the bait
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Words nearby rise to the bait
rise in the world, risen, riser, rise through the ranks, rise to, rise to the bait, rise to the occasion, rishi, risibility, risible, rising
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.