fob off

verb

fobbed off; fobbing off; fobs off

transitive verb

1
: to put off with a trick, excuse, or inferior substitute
2
: to pass or offer (something spurious) as genuine
3
: to put aside
now fob off what once they would have welcomed eagerlyWalter Lippmann

Examples of fob off in a Sentence

people who try to fob off to charities broken-down furniture that is fit only for the junkyard
Recent Examples on the Web But despite previous transparency around the cost-cutting measures, employees inquiring about how the budget cuts have impacted their performance review will now be fobbed off. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2023 Most chose instead to fob off the hard decisions to central bankers. William Pesek, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fob off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fob off was in 1597

Dictionary Entries Near fob off

Cite this Entry

“Fob off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fob%20off. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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