ENGLISH
REFERENCE

take for a ride

idiom
Meaning

To deceive someone.


Examples
SIMPLE

I think the mechanic took me for a ride with those repairs.

CONTEXTUAL

The salesman promised a full refund, but I realized he took me for a ride when he stopped answering my calls.

COMPLEX

After discovering that the investment firm had fabricated their quarterly earnings, the investors realized they had been taken for a ride by the company directors.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    be taken ill

    To become ill.

  2. 02

    cross to take up

    Alternative form of cross to bear.

  3. 03

    forget to take one's medication this morning

    To be annoyed or irritable, or to behave in an ill-mannered way, particularly in the morning.

  4. 04

    free ride

    An opportunity or benefit which has no cost, especially one enjoyed or undertaken at the expense of others.

  5. 05

    full ride

    A scholarship that covers all tuition, and in some cases fees or other educational and living expenses as well.

  6. 06

    get taken in

    To be fooled; to fall for.

  7. 07

    give and take

    A process of compromise or accommodation.

  8. 08

    give someone an inch and someone will take a mile

    Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.

Last updated April 17, 2026