as in to wish
to offer (something fake, useless, or inferior) as genuine, useful, or valuable
people who try to fob off to charities broken-down furniture that is fit only for the junkyard
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Recent Examples of fob off
Whether out of pride, ideological zeal or an instinct to haggle for even the tiniest advantage, Iranian leaders will be tempted to stall — to drag out negotiations, fob off the U.S. with flashy promises and try to trip up their American counterparts in highly technical details.
—
Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 26 Feb. 2026
Your potential clients are terrified of being sold the dream then fobbed off to a junior team member.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
While attempting to film his daughter's dance, Miguel Angel Michel, 66, couldn't control his feet and eventually fobbed off his phone altogether, earning 4.2 million views on TikTok.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
Not only does Israel not have spare luxury jets lying around to fob off on the American president, but the country took nine years to retrofit and launch its own version of Air Force One, and the process was a national fiasco.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
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
Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 26 Feb. 2026
Your potential clients are terrified of being sold the dream then fobbed off to a junior team member.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
While attempting to film his daughter's dance, Miguel Angel Michel, 66, couldn't control his feet and eventually fobbed off his phone altogether, earning 4.2 million views on TikTok.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
Not only does Israel not have spare luxury jets lying around to fob off on the American president, but the country took nine years to retrofit and launch its own version of Air Force One, and the process was a national fiasco.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fob off
Verb
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Of course, those who work in comedy wish the streamer would talk to more comics.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
16 June 2026
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Habermas wished, in a sense, to vacate the hotel and traverse the abyss outside.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Verb
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After Simmons-Hancock was dead, Parker performed a crude C-section on her body to remove the unborn child to pass off as her own.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
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The Spurs fought back from a 14-point deficit to take the lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter, but with the game tied at 104, Victor Wembanyama threw a pass off an unaware teammate's back and Jalen Brunson stole the ball.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
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The finding, drawn from a study linking survey data on borrower beliefs to credit bureau records, puts a precise number on the financial damage inflicted by years of government policy whiplash on student debt.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
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That would be a huge win for polluters, worth $60-$200 million, and they would not be held accountable for the damage already inflicted on us.—
Chris Hartmann,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
Verb
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My eyes darted back and forth, trying to grasp the imposing silhouette in its entirety.—
Karina Zaiets,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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The filing, submitted in the San Diego County Superior Court, seeks a judge’s order to condemn and destroy the embargoed kratom products, halt ongoing unlawful manufacturing and impose civil penalties.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Lift your right palm off the ground and cross your torso to tap your left shoulder, then return your right hand to the ground.—
Jenessa Connor,
Health,
28 May 2026
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While other firms have trimmed entry-level hiring as AI takes over the admin tasks normally palmed off to younger workers, EY is actively investing in early-career talent.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Al-Amri, who had a shot denied by Uruguay's Fernando Muslera earlier in the first half, put his squad ahead with a quick tap-in after Muslera palmed away a header.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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Sibley, trying to get between Popov and his friends, made contact with the teen, palms out and open handed, and Popov stabbed him in the heart, Jafari said.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fob off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fob%20off. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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