bait-and-switch

[ beyt-n-swich ]

/ ˈbeɪt nˈswɪtʃ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bait-and-switch ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

denoting a deceptive method of selling, by which customers, attracted to a store by sale items, are told either that the advertised bargain item is out of stock or is inferior to a higher-priced item that is available.

noun

an act or instance of such practice.

Words nearby bait-and-switch

bairn, Bairnsfather, Ba. Is., Baisakhi, bait, bait-and-switch, bait casting, baitfish, baith, baiza, baize

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for bait-and-switch

“Sometimes the bait-and-switch is legitimate because apartments go so fast,” he says.
From a Broken Lease, a Dream NYC Home|Lizzie Crocker|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bait-and-switch was the whole glorious gimmick of high-low editing, and I am happily guilty on every count.
Tina Brown: Why Kim Kardashian Isn’t ‘Aspirational'|Tina Brown|April 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There may be a backlash for this bait-and-switch among some independent voters, but probably not from most Tea Party activists.
The Latest Abortion Outrage|Michelle Goldberg|March 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Politically committed directors who want to reach a large public often try what might be termed a bait-and-switch strategy.
Cannes' New Political Thrillers|Richard Porton|May 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Idioms and Phrases with bait-and-switch

bait and switch

A deceptive commercial practice in which customers are induced to visit a store by an advertised sale item and then are told that it is out of stock or that it is far inferior to some more expensive item. For example, I won't buy a car from this outfit; they're notorious for their bait and switch tactics. The verb to bait has meant to supply a hook or trap with a morsel of food so as to attract a fish or animal since about 1300; the verb to switch has meant to change, alter, or transfer from one thing to another since the 1890s. The pairing of the two, however, dates only from the 1920s, although the practice is surely much older. It is called switch-selling in Britain.