pass off
verb
passed off; passing off; passes off
1
: to make public or offer for sale with intent to deceive
2
: to give a false identity or character to
Examples of pass off in a Sentence
the con man tried to pass off a piece of blue glass as a sapphire
Recent Examples on the Web
Scott passed off his drink to pose for a slew of photos that lit up the dark bar area with flash.
—
Emily Burns, Footwear News, 9 June 2025
The Trump administration's CIA reported earlier in 2025 that a lab leak was the likely origin of the COVID-19 virus, which had been passed off by media outlets and scientists as a likely conspiracy theory during the early days of the pandemic.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2025
But some upcharge is potentially inevitable and will be passed off as the impact of inflation on project costs.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
Against that backdrop, there was no chance of Saturday passing off quietly and by the time extra-time ended, Antonio Rudiger, Lucas Vasquez and Jude Bellingham had all been sent off.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pass off
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Emily Burns, Footwear News, 9 June 2025
The Trump administration's CIA reported earlier in 2025 that a lab leak was the likely origin of the COVID-19 virus, which had been passed off by media outlets and scientists as a likely conspiracy theory during the early days of the pandemic.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2025
But some upcharge is potentially inevitable and will be passed off as the impact of inflation on project costs.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
Against that backdrop, there was no chance of Saturday passing off quietly and by the time extra-time ended, Antonio Rudiger, Lucas Vasquez and Jude Bellingham had all been sent off.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pass off
Cite this Entry
“Pass off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pass%20off. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
pass off
transitive verb1
: to make public or offer for sale (goods or services) with intent to deceive : palm off
passing his product off as that of the plaintiff's—W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton
see also unfair competition
W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton2
: to give a false identity or character to
they created the documents on the day of the trial and passed them off as being made earlier
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