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
Again, sources claim, Blackman was clever in the art of the spin, attempting to pass off inappropriate comments as harmless jokes and innocent questions.
—
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2024
The winds then pass off the lake, but the water sloshes back across, producing damaging waves with no storm to warn of their impending arrival.
—Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2024
Not surprisingly, passengers adamant about not paying such hefty fees sometimes try to pass off larger bags as personal items.
—Blane Bachelor, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Nov. 2023
Though the real number of people who saw the livestream isn’t known, the scammers were able to fool viewers using AI technology, with a voice convincing enough to pass off as the Tesla CEO’s.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for pass off 
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2024
The winds then pass off the lake, but the water sloshes back across, producing damaging waves with no storm to warn of their impending arrival.
—Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2024
Not surprisingly, passengers adamant about not paying such hefty fees sometimes try to pass off larger bags as personal items.
—Blane Bachelor, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Nov. 2023
Though the real number of people who saw the livestream isn’t known, the scammers were able to fool viewers using AI technology, with a voice convincing enough to pass off as the Tesla CEO’s.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for pass off
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pass off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Pass off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pass%20off. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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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