pass off

Definition of pass offnext
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 After Wembanyama converted an and-one fast-break lob from Stephon Castle, Mazzulla lifted Walsh and passed off that matchup to Baylor Scheierman. Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026 Winter can be hard, but the belief that everyone is sadder during the season may simply be folklore passed off as fact. Rafaela Jinich, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 2026 In the video, Prince Louis, the youngest son of Prince William and Princess Kate, can be seen holding the toy, before passing off the beaver masquerading as Santa Claus to his father. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Dec. 2025 Perez said at a Sunday night press conference that authorities identified the man via a tip — which the police chief said was passed off to the FBI — but the evidence obtained was ultimately insufficient to keep him. Max Rego, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pass off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pass off
Verb
  • The organization added that a true sign of atonement from Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, would be to refrain from antisemitism in the future, concluding their statement by wishing him well on his mental health journey.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Stacey also continues to advocate for diabetes visibility, and wishes to remind Kristy through this grapevine to re-up her generous annual contribution to support type 1 research.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • An autopsy conducted by the DuPage County Coroner found roughly 70 stab wounds on Morales, most inflicted by a knife.
    Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Most of them were in the South, where weekend blasts of freezing rain caused tree limbs and power lines to snap, inflicting crippling outages on northern Mississippi and parts of Tennessee.
    Russ Bynum, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The 20-month sentence imposed on Kim was a surprise after independent counsel Min Joong-ki called for a 15-year prison term on three charges, including stock price manipulation, political funding law violations and accepting bribes.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Mikel Arteta and his players are facing criticism for not imposing themselves on opposition teams forcefully enough, allowing valuable points to slip through their fingers at such a crucial point of the season.
    Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
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
  • The school also posted a picture of the center, who reportedly has a 7-4 wingspan, palming two basketballs on the program’s website.
    Alex Valdes, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
  • Major League Baseball wagged a finger with one hand and palmed gate receipts and a new TV deal in the other.
    Jeremy Collins, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 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 2 Feb. 2026.

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