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
Everybody got beat on a 48-yard pass off a third-and-17 (biggest play of the game).
—
Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
Against Chelsea, Liverpool defenders kept passing to Mamardashvili’s weaker right foot (probably a force of habit), meaning the goalkeeper either had to take an extra beat to work the ball onto his left, or shank a long pass off his right.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
As Minnesota scrambled to backcheck, Zach Ashton-Reese sent a long pass off the end boards next to Gustavsson, where Miles Wood was able to tack down the puck and snap a low shot past the Wild goalie.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025
In an effort to memorialize Bessie, who was a Holocaust survivor, Eleanor begins to pass off some of her late friend's stories as her own.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pass off
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
Against Chelsea, Liverpool defenders kept passing to Mamardashvili’s weaker right foot (probably a force of habit), meaning the goalkeeper either had to take an extra beat to work the ball onto his left, or shank a long pass off his right.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
As Minnesota scrambled to backcheck, Zach Ashton-Reese sent a long pass off the end boards next to Gustavsson, where Miles Wood was able to tack down the puck and snap a low shot past the Wild goalie.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025
In an effort to memorialize Bessie, who was a Holocaust survivor, Eleanor begins to pass off some of her late friend's stories as her own.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 27 Sep. 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 31 Oct. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share