passed off

past tense of pass off
as in inflicted
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 passed off Su-hun passed off the manuscript of Min-hui’s late sister as his latest novel. Kayti Burt, Time, 26 June 2026 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 To diVittorio, the minimum lot sizes are too big — and therefore expensive; setbacks from streets are too broad, eating up buildable land; and sidewalk requirements are too costly, getting passed off to consumers. Mark Dee march 12, Idaho Statesman, 12 Mar. 2026 Earlier in the week, an Indian university was reportedly asked to leave the summit after a staff member passed off a robotic dog developed by Chinese company Unitree as one the university had developed. Jared Perlo, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026 And even Lachlan, who shares his father’s paleo-conservative worldview and was therefore granted control of Fox News, ultimately had to accept that much of the Murdoch empire had been sold out from under him when Rupert passed off 20th Century Fox to Disney for $71 billion in 2019. The Week Us, TheWeek, 18 Feb. 2026 The tie ultimately passed off without much incident. Phil Hay, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passed off
Verb
  • As scrutiny on the harm inflicted on children by AI firms intensifies, advocates are hoping that firms will fine-tune models to block all nudity.
    Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026
  • In Quiché, one of Guatemala’s poorest departments, Gerardi became more exposed to the violence inflicted by the country’s ongoing civil war.
    Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026
Verb
  • In response, Britain imposed the punitive Coercive Acts (1774), closing Boston Harbour and stripping Massachusetts of self-governance.
    The Week UK, TheWeek, 4 July 2026
  • Writing for the conservative majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the restrictions imposed a significant burden on political expression and argued that lifting them could strengthen the role of political parties in elections.
    David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 4 July 2026
Verb
  • The Hall of Famer had a couple of bikinis for the occasion and wished the USA a happy 250th birthday in them.
    Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • In its post Thursday night, Union Station wished the couple well.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Passed off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passed%20off. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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