taken the bait
Swallowed the lure
Taken the bait means to have fallen for a trick or provocation, like a fish swallowing a baited hook.
Someone who has taken the bait responded exactly as the manipulator intended—whether by believing a lie, getting angry at a taunt, or walking into a trap: I knew I shouldn't argue with trolls, but I'd already taken the bait.
- hook line and sinkerCompletely and without reservation
- susceptibilityLiability to influence
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
- con artistProfessional fraud perpetrator
- entrapmentDefense against induced criminality
fell for it · overconfidence · too good to be true · misjudgment · credulity · lure · gullibility · snare · suggestibility · hook · scam · hoax · decoy · trustfulness · ploy · wolf in sheep's clothing · ruse · deceit