bait

The men reportedly used pieces of fish as bait, placing traps outside houses where they knew cats were kept, state media reported.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

But after circling a few times, the shark spat out the bait, leaving fishermen on the pier stunned.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

The experiments used small groups of termites under controlled conditions, and the researchers described the findings as support for developing bistrifluron further as a localized treatment or possible bait ingredient.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

Also known as grabblers or hand-fishermen, noodlers use their own bare limbs as bait to catch enormous flathead catfish lurking in Southern and Midwestern rivers, creeks, and lakes.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

In the driveway, Macon divided the gear between their bikes and together they rode to the bait shop.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Someone - in this case SMT - "baits" the customer by advertising a particular product or service only to then say that's not available, pushing the client towards another, inferior, product or service.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2025

The petition baits the hook this way: “Have you ever looked at a map and thought, ‘You know what Denmark needs?

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2025

As an alternative, Gordon suggests that people faced with cockroach infestations use baits.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2024

Airdropped poison baits have been used to eradicate predators from uninhabited islands, but that is a problematic strategy if people live nearby.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2024

He walked off, barefooted on the coral rocks, to the ice house where the baits were stored.

From "The Old Man and The Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

The next inning, Kyle Tucker hit a two-out single into left, baited Sale into picking over to first base twice, and then stole second.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Do you think he can resist being baited?

From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026

A baited camera mounted on a bottom lander captured rare footage of another goblin shark swimming freely in its natural environment.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026

Of course, with the title at his fingertips, McIlroy baited the golfing gods on the final hole when he launched a drive into the trees and plunked his approach shot into a bunker.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026

Peter had baited the trap himself with a carrot, then begged his father to let him sleep in the garden to keep watch.

From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker

A lawyer representing Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is calling for the destruction of all copies of an extremely limited-edition, Operation-style board game mocking SGA for ‘foul baiting.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

“Shai has made hoops all about foul baiting and now you’re stuck guarding him in Underdog’s new board game,” a description reads on the game’s website.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

Smishing has become one of those quotidian irritations of modern life, and for some people, baiting the sender can feel like a tiny act of revenge—or just an opportunity for amusement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

In an election shaped by identity, livelihoods and a fair amount of playful baiting, fish may not decide the result.

From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026

“Is that it? You’re baiting me the way they did Kim?”

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi