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 Sure enough, a member of the security team snagged the jersey, and it was passed off to a man who admired the jersey sitting in the ride behind Leo. CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026 The original movie was passed off as a documentary on death, but paired mostly staged violence with real footage taken at murder scenes and accident sites, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026 Adam Gordon, the book’s protagonist, is always passing off someone else’s language as his own. Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026 Wembanyama rewarded Bryant on the ensuing play with an alley-oop pass off a pick-and-roll that the Spurs rookie turned into a layup three minutes into the second quarter. ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pass off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pass off
Verb
  • Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
    Sofia Saric June 23, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026
  • Those wishing to attend the events will need to pass through magnetometers and bag-checks, officials said.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • Yet meaningful change has been slow to materialize, souring views of Starmer’s premiership and inflicting heavy losses on the Labour Party in local government elections in May, which virtually sealed his fate.
    Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
  • Minnesota is among the states with a history of forcibly removing Indigenous children from their families and subjecting them to years in boarding schools that aimed to erase Native cultures, inflicting centuries of intergenerational trauma.
    WCCO Staff, CBS News, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Both countries impose severe penalties on LGBTQ people.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 June 2026
  • Starting on July 1, the California Department of Parks and Recreation can now impose new penalties on folks who fail to cancel their campsite reservations in a timely manner or fail to show for their reservation.
    Noe Padilla, USA Today, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Lift your right palm off the ground and cross your torso to tap your left shoulder, then return your right hand to the ground.
    Jenessa Connor, Health, 28 May 2026
  • 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
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
  • Al-Amri, who had a shot denied by Uruguay's Fernando Muslera earlier in the first half, put his squad ahead with a quick tap-in after Muslera palmed away a header.
    CBS News, CBS News, 15 June 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

“Pass off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pass%20off. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

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