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
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
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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The pendulum of pension reform could be swinging toward more generous benefits over a decade after California overhauled its retirement system if lawmakers grant public safety unions’ wish to lower the age when police officers and firefighters can retire.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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The companies are offering refunds if guests of these bookings wish to cancel.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To diVittorio, the minimum lot sizes are too big — and therefore expensive; setbacks from streets are too broad, eating up buildable land; and sidewalk requirements are too costly, getting passed off to consumers.—
Mark Dee
March 12,
Idaho Statesman,
12 Mar. 2026
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Ocean carriers are reacting in kind, passing off the war-risk premiums to their customers.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The misery inflicted on the thousands of Maryland commuters is merely the stick to drive more people to consider ailing public transportation options.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Mar. 2026
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There is humor and there is drama, as Rhoda is inflicted with tuberculosis and hospitalized in suburban Winfield and Denver.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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More importantly, the law imposes a hard ceiling of 150 days.—
Jay Caruso,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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She was becoming influenced by social scientists such as the French philosopher Auguste Comte, who were less concerned with enshrining individual rights than with imposing a social order—a departure from her earlier universalist thinking.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The unique shape helps keep your palm off the table while offering a spot for your thumb to rest.—
Brenda Stolyar,
Wired News,
9 May 2025
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And there’s an art to delegating, without seemingly palming off work to your team.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
2 Mar. 2023
Verb
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Slicing this way makes the lemons easier to palm.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
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Joel Veltman grabbed the second equaliser in a 2-2 draw at West Ham in the final fixture of 2025 with a left-foot volley at the far post after an in-swinging corner from Ferdi Kadioglu was palmed straight to the Dutchman by West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fob off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fob%20off. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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