threw a sprat to catch a mackerel

A form of throw a sprat to catch a mackerel — To sacrifice something of little value in the hope of gaining something better.

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Meanings

verb
  1. pastsimple past of throw a sprat to catch a mackerel
Cite this entry
APA

threw a sprat to catch a mackerel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/threw%20a%20sprat%20to%20catch%20a%20mackerel

MLA

“threw a sprat to catch a mackerel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/threw%20a%20sprat%20to%20catch%20a%20mackerel. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “threw a sprat to catch a mackerel,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/threw%20a%20sprat%20to%20catch%20a%20mackerel.

Source: threw a sprat to catch a mackerel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.