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
Lots of men would have passed off that rod because the fish fought so hard.
—
Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
While mass luxury may pass off plastic handbags or interior car seats as leather, such compromises cheapen the value perception in the eyes of those who know better.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
If Clark does manage to get passes off, USC’s lockdown secondary has the chance to live up to the hype.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Lastly and most crucially, CliffsNotes don’t generate writing that students can pass off as their own.
—Joelle Renstrom
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pass off
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Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
While mass luxury may pass off plastic handbags or interior car seats as leather, such compromises cheapen the value perception in the eyes of those who know better.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
If Clark does manage to get passes off, USC’s lockdown secondary has the chance to live up to the hype.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Lastly and most crucially, CliffsNotes don’t generate writing that students can pass off as their own.
—Joelle Renstrom
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 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 6 Sep. 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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