pass off

as in to wish
to offer (something fake, useless, or inferior) as genuine, useful, or valuable the con man tried to pass off a piece of blue glass as a sapphire

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 pass off One moment stood out in particular from Wednesday night’s victory on Long Island: when Pius Suter passed off a clear shot on an empty net to feed Kiefer Sherwood for his second goal of the night. Thomas Drance, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025 Trump pointed to one where Vice President Vance runs for the White House and passes off the job to him. Al Weaver, The Hill, 31 Mar. 2025 Once the victim had been convinced that their relative had been arrested, the call was passed off to another scammer at the call center posing as an attorney representing the elderly victim’s relative. Steve Weisman, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025 The tax will then have to be passed off to the consumer. Hannah Poukish, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pass off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pass off
Verb
  • States With Medicaid Requirements Released For Public Comment Iowa, South Carolina and Utah are all wishing for amendments to be made to their state policies regarding Medicaid work requirements and each are still at the public comment stage of the process.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
  • As part of the settlement, students in the club who wish to participate in the game will be able to do so with a parental permission slip.
    Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • On August 3, 2014, Daesh launched a devastating attack on Sinjar, inflicting widespread atrocities on the Yazidi community.
    Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
  • The satellite evidence provides independent confirmation of the damage inflicted on one of Pakistan's most critical military installations.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • To restore fairness, the city should impose an additional tax on whole-home short-term rental businesses.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025
  • The law imposes civil penalties and mandates back pay and benefits for noncompliance.
    Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • And there’s an art to delegating, without seemingly palming off work to your team.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2023
Verb
  • 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
Verb
  • Onana allowed Thiago Almada’s 25th-minute free-kick to go straight in while Rayan Cherki’s equaliser deep into stoppage time at the end of the game came after the goalkeeper palmed Corentin Tolisso’s effort back into his path.
    David Ornstein, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Slicing this way makes the lemons easier to palm.
    Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pass off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pass%20off. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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