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
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Recent Examples of pass off
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
But the overall reality is simple, lying in the hands of the head man still pulling the strings despite passing off the play-calling reins.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pass off
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
But the overall reality is simple, lying in the hands of the head man still pulling the strings despite passing off the play-calling reins.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pass off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pass off
Verb
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But as the world wished her well, Catherine slowly began to recover.—
Stephanie Bridger-Linning,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
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So many things that [Brown] did that was good for our football team, and will wish him the best of luck.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Verb
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While most of those visitors are coming with good intentions, there’s always the possibility that bad actors will take advantage of the crowds and commotion to cause damage and inflict harm.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 June 2026
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Alabama's relatively new nitrogen gas execution method could inflict a cruel amount of pain and suffering on a death row inmate who says that he'd rather be killed by a firing squad, a federal appeals court has ruled.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The design was simple yet imposing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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The proposal would require extensive recordkeeping and impose steep fines on repair shops, recyclers, pawn shops and secondhand dealers that traffic in undocumented airbags.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Anna Konkle: As a child, knowing where one begins and ends in relation to one’s parents (especially amidst loud, unpredictable hippies) is like palming through a bucket of rice for a single grain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Pass off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pass%20off. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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