English Reference
Idiom idiom

sell someone a bill of goods


To deceive or cheat someone.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“The salesman sold me a bill of goods about this broken car.”

CONTEXTUAL

“I realized the company sold me a bill of goods when the software failed to perform as they promised.”

COMPLEX

“The politician sold the public a bill of goods, promising economic prosperity while secretly planning policies that would only benefit his wealthy donors.”


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a good deal

    Very much; to a great extent; a lot; lots.

  2. 02

    all good

    It's all good.

  3. 03

    as if someone owns the place

    Alternative form of like someone owns the place.

  4. 04

    beat someone round the ears

    To beat (a person) with blows about the head.

  5. 05

    bill of goods

    A set of misleading or deceptive claims.

  6. 06

    bless someone with

    To give or bestow, as a gift from God.

  7. 07

    bring someone to their knees

    To defeat and make submit to orders.

  8. 08

    but good

    To a high degree; very thoroughly; in a most definite manner.

Last updated August 10, 2026