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
Relevance
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
The indictment also accused him of intentionally submitting checks drawn on insufficient funds and allegedly passing off another person’s Internet Movie Database Page as his own to convince one victim of his industry bona fides.
—
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Wilted lettuce doused in watery dressing passed off as salads.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 21 Aug. 2025
Wilted lettuce doused in watery dressing passed off as salads.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Wilted lettuce doused in watery dressing passed off as salads.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pass off
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Wilted lettuce doused in watery dressing passed off as salads.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 21 Aug. 2025
Wilted lettuce doused in watery dressing passed off as salads.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Wilted lettuce doused in watery dressing passed off as salads.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pass off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pass off
Verb
-
Friends and fans alike flooded the actor’s comment section with birthday wishes.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The last man standing wins a life-changing cash prize and the fulfillment of any one wish their heart desires.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Very few believe Russia was attempting to inflict serious damage, something that would almost certainly trigger a strong military response from NATO.—
Patrick Reevell,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Their shared belief in the importance of cinema breaks through the screen, contagiously inflicting those watching, striking a hopeful tone to cherish and admire that also prevents the film from appearing earnest and naive.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Cities would also generally be prevented from imposing height and density limits based on how close a development is near a transit stop.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
In fact, there’s already a battle in Los Angeles over the $30 wage for workers at hotels and other hospitality businesses imposed by the city council.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 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
-
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
Verb
-
Slicing this way makes the lemons easier to palm.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The result was the same — chaos in the six-yard box that restricted Altay Bayindir, who palmed the ball straight onto Calafiori’s forehead.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pass off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pass%20off. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share