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
Winter can be hard, but the belief that everyone is sadder during the season may simply be folklore passed off as fact.
—
Rafaela Jinich, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 2026
In the video, Prince Louis, the youngest son of Prince William and Princess Kate, can be seen holding the toy, before passing off the beaver masquerading as Santa Claus to his father.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Dec. 2025
Perez said at a Sunday night press conference that authorities identified the man via a tip — which the police chief said was passed off to the FBI — but the evidence obtained was ultimately insufficient to keep him.
—Max Rego, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025
Durocher tossed his lone touchdown pass off a play-action rollout for six yards to Max Cherry for the 6-0 lead.
—Brian Fabry, Boston Herald, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pass off
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Rafaela Jinich, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 2026
In the video, Prince Louis, the youngest son of Prince William and Princess Kate, can be seen holding the toy, before passing off the beaver masquerading as Santa Claus to his father.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Dec. 2025
Perez said at a Sunday night press conference that authorities identified the man via a tip — which the police chief said was passed off to the FBI — but the evidence obtained was ultimately insufficient to keep him.
—Max Rego, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025
Durocher tossed his lone touchdown pass off a play-action rollout for six yards to Max Cherry for the 6-0 lead.
—Brian Fabry, Boston Herald, 27 Nov. 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 7 Jan. 2026.
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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