English idiom · neutral · spoken & written · BrE & AmE

pull the wool over someone’s eyes: meaning and examples

pull the wool over someone’s eyes means deceive someone so they do not know the truth.

Memory hook: Build a clear mental picture from “pull the wool over someone’s eyes” and connect it to this meaning: deceive someone so they do not know the truth.

How to use “pull the wool over someone’s eyes”

Common mistake: Treat “pull the wool over someone’s eyes” as a fixed expression. Notice its exact word order in the examples.

Learn it in context

This expression belongs to Lesson 12, where you can compare it with other idioms about truth and practise it interactively.

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