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Meaning & use

taking the bait

phrase·Advancedfigurative

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UK/ˌteɪkɪŋ ðə ˈbeɪt/
US/ˌteɪkɪŋ ðə ˈbeɪt/

“taking the bait” is a form of “take the bait”.

Meanings

  1. phraseidiomfigurative

    Reacting to a trick, a tempting offer or a provocation exactly as the person behind it hoped you would.

    Grammar: The -ing form of take the bait: taking the bait was a mistake.

    Patterns

    • take the bait
    • fall for the bait

    By answering the insult, he was taking the bait and making things worse.

    Taking the bait would only give the troll more attention.

    She avoided taking the bait when her brother tried to start an argument.

  2. phraseidiom

    A fish biting a hook or lure, or an animal being drawn to food set in a trap.

    Grammar: Literal use, mostly in fishing and trapping.

    Patterns

    • fish taking the bait

    The trout were taking the bait all morning along the river bank.

    The mouse was cautiously taking the bait from the trap.

    After an hour, a large bass was finally taking the bait.

Common combinations

stop taking the bait
Stop taking the bait every time he teases you.
refuse to take the bait
The mayor refused to take the bait when reporters pressed him.
risk taking the bait
Investors risk taking the bait of quick profits.
fish taking the bait
We watched the fish taking the bait one after another.
quickly taking the bait
He is quickly taking the bait and arguing back.

Synonyms and how they differ

falling for it
Falling for it is the casual version and says you were fooled, but it does not require a specific lure.
rising to it
Rising to it is used for responding to a provocation and keeps the focus on anger or challenge.
biting
Biting is the shorter word for responding to a provocation, and it is mostly spoken.
being lured
Being lured stresses the pull of the temptation rather than your reaction to it.

Opposites

resisting temptationignoring it

Word family

bait noun
food or a lure used to catch fish or animals
bait verb
to tease or provoke someone
baiting noun
the act of provoking someone
clickbait noun
online content designed to attract clicks

Commonly confused: taking the bait or bate?

taking the bait vs bate

Bate means to lessen, as in with bated breath, and it is a different word from bait.

Practice

The commentator kept insulting the player, but he refused to respond, so he avoided ______.

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