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Showing results for bait and switch. Search instead for Classic bait-and-switch.
Definitions

bait and switch

[beyt-n-swich] / ˈbeɪt nˈswɪtʃ /
NOUN
collusion
Synonyms
STRONGEST
complicity conspiracy deceit scam
STRONG
bunco cahoots connivance craft dodge flimflam fraudulence graft guilt guiltiness intrigue plot racket scheme skunk sting trick whitewash
WEAK
bill of goods con game diddling double-cross fast shuffle flam fraudulent artifice shell game
Antonyms
STRONG
honesty
NOUN
con game
Synonyms
WEAK
Ponzi boiler room bunco game bunko con con job confidence trick flimflam hustle racket ripoff shell game skin game sting swindle
NOUN
confidence game
Synonyms
WEAK
Ponzi boiler room bunco game bunko con con game confidence trick flimflam hustle racket ripoff shell game skin game sting swindle
NOUN
trickery
Synonyms
STRONGEST
chicanery deceit dishonesty razzle-dazzle scam shell game stunt
STRONG
cheat cheating chicane con dodge double-dealing dupery flimflam fraud guile hoax imposture pretense quackery shenanigans sting
WEAK
double cross fast shuffle fourberie funny business sharp practice snow job swindling underhandedness
Antonyms
STRONGEST
frankness honesty openness truthfulness
STRONG
reality truth
VERB
misinform
Synonyms
STRONGEST
deceive misguide mislead
STRONG
lie misdirect misstate pervert prevaricate signify
WEAK
bait-and-switch cover up disinform double-talk doublespeak lead astray mousetrap put on put on an act put on false front put up a smokescreen string along wrong steer
Antonyms
STRONG
straighten
WEAK
inform tell all

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Instead, the postelection reality feels like a bait-and-switch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

If a dealership lists a fair, all-in price online, they risk looking more expensive than a competitor who uses deceptive bait-and-switch pricing to lure customers in.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026

A couple initially expecting to pay less than £50 for a locksmith ended up victims of a "bait-and-switch scam" which ended up costing them more than £5,000, an investigation has found.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

After all, we’ve seen this movie before, and it turned out to be a bait-and-switch.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2025

Jeremiah Gibson, a couples therapist who hosts the Sexvangelicals podcast with his wife and fellow therapist Julia Postema, told Salon that the sex-and-relationships material that dominates the Christian influencer world is a form of bait-and-switch.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2024