lead someone up the garden path

== English == === Etymology === Probably a reference to the fact that a garden path is often winding instead of direct. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈliːd ˌsʌmwʌn ˈʌp ðə ˈɡɑːdn̩ pɑːθ/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈlid ˌsʌmwʌn ˈʌp ðə ˈɡɑɹdən ˌpæθ/ Hyphenation: lead some‧one up the gar‧den path === Verb === lead someone up the garden path (third-person singular simple present leads someone up the garden path, present participle leading someone up the garden path, simple past and past participle led someone up the garden path) (idiomatic) To deceive, hoodwink, mislead, or seduce someone. Synonyms: lead someone down the garden path, lead someone up the garden ==== Derived terms ==== garden path sentence ==== Translations ==== === Further reading === “to lead (a person) up the garden (path), phrase” under “garden, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2017. “lead someone up the garden path, phrase”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.