to bait

Examples

• All

• Do you want to bait your own hook or do you want me to do it?

  Mermaids (1990)

• Wiley shook the blue crabs into the gunnysack and then baited the trap again with mullet scraps.

  Fiction book (1997)

• We will bait it, then I will lead the cat to you.

  Prey (2022)

• You got to bait your hook

  That's Entertainment! III (1994)

• Got to bait the trap.

  Riddick (2013)

• Bait your hook for fish you can fry.

  Carmen Jones (1954)

• We've got the trap baited with just the right cheese.

  A Foreign Affair (1948)

• While Grandpa and Andy talked, I baited my hooks and made a cast into the murky waters near the bar.

  Fiction book (1992)

• He decided to bait the trap with some fresh fish to catch the raccoon.

• To attract the squirrels, she will bait the feeder with nuts and seeds.

Synonyms

H

to hook

vsto bait

330 4.6

To attract someone and make them want to be involved, sometimes by a trick

adds the idea of leading into a capture, not just gaining interest

E

to entice

vsto bait

61 4.9

To persuade someone to do something by offering something they want

adds an extra aim of catching or entrapping beyond mere persuasion

S

to seduce

vsto bait

53 5.9

Persuade someone to give up duties or beliefs by offering something attractive

is broader, using attractive items to lure targets not just moral persuasion

S

to sucker

vsto bait

• Informal

26 6.0

To trick someone into doing something

usually involves setting an attractive trap to draw the person in first

S

to snare

vsto bait

18 5.6

To catch something, often by using a trap or a trick

focuses more on attracting or enticing before the capture happens

E

to ensnare

vsto bait

13 7.7

To trap someone or something, often by a trick when they are in a difficult situation

places more emphasis on attracting then capturing rather than creating hardship

E

to entrap

vsto bait

8 7.2

To catch a person or animal by tricking them so they cannot escape

relies more on attracting first then causing capture rather than immediate restraint

B

to beguile

vsto bait

4 8.4

To attract and charm someone while tricking them

is more about drawing someone in with an object to then capture

D

to decoy

vsto bait

3 6.1

To trick someone into a trap or danger

focuses on using an attractive item to lure rather than only a fake object

S

to set up a honeypot

vsto bait

• Specialized

8.1

To create a fake target to attract and find people who attack or steal data

is the general act of using an attractive item to lure or catch

Idioms

F

to fish or cut bait

• Informal

1 8.8

Choose to act now or step aside so someone else can

Phrasal Verbs

C

to cut bait

• Informal

8.8

Stop wasting time and either act now or give up a plan that does not work

Compounds

B

bait and switch

10 6.8

A sales trick that advertises a low price then sells a more expensive item

B

bait casting

• Specialized

1 5.8

A way of fishing using a one-handed rod to cast heavy bait

C

crow-bait

• Archaic

9.9

A very thin weak horse that looks near death

G

ground bait

• Jargon

6.5

Bait you spread on the water or on the bottom to attract fish to a spot

S

shark bait

• Offensive

8.9

A person who others use or treat badly in a competitive place

U

unicorn bait

• Jargon

9.9

An idea or feature that looks exciting but is unlikely to work and aims to attract investors

How Entrapping

to ensnare

13 7.7

to bait

18 3.2

to entice

61 4.9

Surface Forms

Etymology