wool over my eyes

Meaning

1. 1phraseidiominformal

   to trick or deceive someone so that they do not see the truth

   Grammar: The full idiom is 'pull the wool over someone's eyes'. The possessive adjective changes with the person: my, your, his, her, our, their.

   Patterns

   • pull the wool over someone's eyes
   • pull the wool over my eyes
   • pull the wool over his eyes

   He tried to pull the wool over my eyes by saying the car was in perfect condition.

   Don't let the salesman pull the wool over your eyes with fancy numbers.

   The company pulled the wool over investors' eyes for years before the truth came out.

Common combinations

pull the wool over someone's eyes

She pulled the wool over her boss's eyes and got a promotion she didn't deserve.

try to pull the wool over someone's eyes

Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes; I know exactly what happened.

pull the wool over the eyes of someone

The politician pulled the wool over the eyes of the public with empty promises.

Synonyms and how they differ

deceive

A direct verb meaning to make someone believe something false; it is more formal and general than the idiom.

mislead

To give someone the wrong idea, often without direct lying; it can be less deliberate than pulling the wool over someone's eyes.

trick

A general verb for making someone do or believe something by cheating; it is more neutral and common in everyday speech.

Opposites

Word family

pull the wool over someone's eyes phrase

The full fixed idiom; the headword is just a shortened form with a possessive.

Commonly confused: wool over my eyes or pull someone's leg?

Practice

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