take someone for a ride — to deceive or cheat someone, especially by charging them too much money
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to deceive or cheat someone, especially by charging them too much money
Pronunciation (IPA): /teɪk ˈsʌmwʌn fɔr ə raɪd/
Example Sentences
- That car salesman really took me for a ride - he charged me double the market price!
- Don't shop there - they take customers for a ride with their inflated prices.
- My roommate took me for a ride when he said the rent was $1000, but it was actually $500.
take someone for a ride
VERB[/teɪk ˈsʌmwʌn fɔr ə raɪd/]
to deceive or cheat someone, especially by charging them too much money
The shady dealer tried to take someone for a ride with a broken old car.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Originally a literal phrase meaning 'to take someone for a drive in a car,' this idiom emerged in American English during the 1920s. It darkened in meaning through gangster culture, when criminals would take victims for rides to remote locations and harm them, eventually evolving to mean 'to deceive or cheat someone.'
Breakdown
take (convey) + someone (object) + for a ride (ostensibly for pleasure, but with ulterior intent). The phrase combines the literal action of transportation with the figurative sense of deception, where the promised 'ride' masks harmful or dishonest intentions.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“That car salesman really took me for a ride - he charged me double the market price!”
“Don't shop there - they take customers for a ride with their inflated prices.”
“My roommate took me for a ride when he said the rent was $1000, but it was actually $500.”
“I feel like I was taken for a ride by that online shopping website.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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