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 Eleanor ends up passing off the story of Bessie surviving a concentration camp in Poland as her own. Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025 Throughout the case, Carnival’ attorneys maintained the cruise line wasn’t at fault and passed off blame to Rondon. Vinod Sreeharsha september 22, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025 Lots of men would have passed off that rod because the fish fought so hard. Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025 While mass luxury may pass off plastic handbags or interior car seats as leather, such compromises cheapen the value perception in the eyes of those who know better. Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pass off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pass off
Verb
  • Following Voigt’s resignation, the Miss USA organization thanked Voigt for her time in the role and wished her well in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
    Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The picture book is both written and illustrated by Knightley, 40, who tells a whimsical story about a young girl that wishes her new baby sister would be carried away by birds.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Vipers and elapids strike more elegantly before their victims are even aware of their presence, while colubrid bites inflict the maximum amount of damage.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Nightfall at Old Tucson For 2025, Nightfall at Old Tucson is going to the circus with Dabney the Clown and his band of evil brethren who will stop at nothing to inflict as much fear as possible.
    Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Judge Steven Denny imposed the 60-year sentence that same day.
    Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
  • He was forced to accept it, because it was imposed on him.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 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
  • Gross also got Brighton’s second after David de Gea palmed Solly March’s shot from right side of the box back into danger.
    Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Slicing this way makes the lemons easier to palm.
    Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 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 29 Oct. 2025.

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