cut bait
The phrase "cut bait" originates from fishing but is widely used idiomatically to signify abandoning an unproductive effort.
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Definition
B2General
(idiomatic)To abandon an effort or activity that is not yielding results.
Example
- After months of trying to fix the old car, he decided to cut bait and buy a new one.
A2Fishing
(literal)To chop up pieces of bait for use in fishing.
Example
- Before we start fishing, we need to cut bait to attract the fish.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "cut bait":
take the baitcut and runcut loosegone fishingcast offcatch and releasefish upfish outloose fishcut up