pull the wool over someone's eyes
Trick into believing
To pull the wool over someone's eyes is to deceive or trick them, especially by concealing the truth: He thought he could pull the wool over my eyes, but I knew he was lying.
The phrase suggests a deliberate act of fooling someone who remains unaware of the deception.
- smoke and mirrorsDeceptive obfuscation tactics
- smoke screenDeceptive concealment tactic
- misleadCause false belief
- hoodwinkTrick into false belief
- lead astrayCause to err
illusion · treachery · wolf in sheep's clothing · string along · dishonesty · swindle · falsify · pull a fast one · put one over · make a fool of · play for a fool · bamboozle · dupe · duplicity · con · snow job · take for a ride · bait and switch
pull the wool over someone's eyestell the truth
Communicate facts honestly
be honest · come clean · lay one's cards on the table · speak plainly · tell it like it is
pull the wool over someone's eyesopen someone's eyes
Cause sudden realization
enlighten · disabuse · disillusion · inform · educate