palm off

Definition of palm offnext
as in to wish
to offer (something fake, useless, or inferior) as genuine, useful, or valuable please stop trying to palm off your leftovers onto me

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of palm off 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 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 Giannoli’s narrator lays out press performance in Balzacian details that sound absolutely contemporary: News, debate, and ideas had become goods to palm off on subscribers. Armond White, National Review, 10 June 2022 However, in spite of this price increase and attempts to palm off blame, there is hardly any middle-class anger even resembling that which existed during the last years of the UPA. Shoaib Daniyal, Quartz India, 21 Feb. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palm off
Verb
  • According to sources, Charles wishes to leave her the Keppel Tiara, a diamond-and-ruby piece valued at around $44,000, which originally belonged to Alice Keppel, Camilla’s great-great-grandmother.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 2 June 2026
  • Stop, stop, don’t all rush in to wish me a happy birthday!
    Allison DeAngelis, STAT, 1 June 2026
Verb
  • And in overtime, Troy Terry’s bump pass off the side wall was picked off by Jack Eichel, who squeezed a pass through multiple Anaheim bodies that ricocheted off Dostál to Dorofeyev, who hammered the puck in.
    Eric Stephens, New York Times, 13 May 2026
  • The standout Indian kitchen has tandoor ovens — an industry rarity — meaning curries arrive with real naan instead of the pita many other ships pass off as a substitute.
    David Dickstein, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Several analysts argue that an open Strait of Hormuz, even one partly controlled by Iran, would inflict less damage on the global economy than one that is closed.
    Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
  • The more likely to be comfortable inflicting pain on the other side (and on fans)?
    Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • Millions of people without proper documentation came in, imposing severe hardships on border communities, straining city budgets, and overwhelming public services.
    Andrew Tisch, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
  • The California Environmental Quality Act requires agencies to complete a report on the additional carbon dioxide emitted from more drivers on the road before imposing the return-to-office order, the union said.
    William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • 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
Verb
  • Anna Konkle: As a child, knowing where one begins and ends in relation to one’s parents (especially amidst loud, unpredictable hippies) is like palming through a bucket of rice for a single grain.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Palm off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palm%20off. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

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