passes off

Definition of passes offnext
present tense third-person singular of pass off
as in wishes
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 passes off If Clark does manage to get passes off, USC’s lockdown secondary has the chance to live up to the hype. Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passes off
Verb
  • The feature, which Barker wrote, directed and edited, is a Monkey’s Paw style tale of a young man who wishes that his friend would love him more than anything in the world, with the results ending in spooky disaster.
    Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Mohan admits she had been distracted by personal problems, and wishes Robby well on his sabbatical.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • State law imposes interest on late taxes at a rate of 18% per year.
    Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2026
  • While society imposes rules and treats difference as a threat, David resists being shaped and stands for imagination and freedom.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • There is also a growing body of credible evidence showing how EdTech inflicts emotional, cognitive, physical, and developmental harms on children, adolescents, and young adults, while displacing the human relationships that are essential to healthy human development and well-being.
    Dr. Timothy Scott, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The focus here is squarely on her mother, another survivor who inflicts her own share of damage along the way.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Passes off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passes%20off. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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