passes off

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
  • According to sources, Charles wishes to leave her the Keppel Tiara, a diamond-and-ruby piece valued at around $44,000, which originally belonged to Alice Keppel, Camilla’s great-great-grandmother.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 2 June 2026
  • Ned wishes to reveal Joffrey’s illegitimacy, but is instead betrayed by Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen), imprisoned by Cersei, and beheaded in a public execution on Joffrey's orders.
    Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • The House issues a rare rebuke of the president, FIFA imposes a ban, and a flesh-eating parasite returns.
    Jeremy Mikula, NBC news, 6 June 2026
  • Some lawmakers push for a 'balanced approach' Many states have enacted or introduced legislation that doesn't halt the construction of new data centers, but imposes regulations in hopes of protecting nearby communities from rising utility costs and mitigating adverse environmental impacts.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • The media usually get Black femicide wrong Another problem surrounding intimate partner homicide inflicts its harms after death.
    Sativa Banks, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
  • Instead of providing convenience, services and consumption, the regime only inflicts repression, intrusion and censorship.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Verb
  • 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

“Passes off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passes%20off. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

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