passing off

verb

present participle of pass off
as in palming off
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 passing off Adam Gordon, the book’s protagonist, is always passing off someone else’s language as his own. — Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 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 Ocean carriers are reacting in kind, passing off the war-risk premiums to their customers. — Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 2 Mar. 2026 Gimbel attributed the practice of AI washing to companies passing off diminished margins and revenue from a failure to effectively navigate cautious consumers and geopolitical tensions to AI. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026 Williams and Storrie, both in official white, pink and yellow fits, had their own moment as torchbearers, with Williams passing off the flame to Storrie. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 25 Jan. 2026 In the video, Prince Louis, the youngest son of Prince William and Princess Kate, can be seen holding the toy, before passing off the beaver masquerading as Santa Claus to his father. — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Dec. 2025 One tactic smugglers use is passing off African greys as species that can still be legally exported, such as green and red-fronted parrots. — Rene Ebersole, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2025 Eleanor ends up passing off the story of Bessie surviving a concentration camp in Poland as her own. — Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing off
  1. wishing
  2. inflicting
  3. imposing
Verb
  • The interview concluded with Oteri's Walters wishing the pair well.
    — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026
  • Any pub wishing to stay open for these hours must have applied for a temporary event notice at least five working days in advance, meaning that those which had not submitted such an applicated by Friday, June 26, are now no longer able to apply.
    — Ali Rampling, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of wishing
Verb
  • Tah missed Germany’s first sudden-death effort before player of the match Jose Canale fittingly sent Paraguay through, inflicting Germany’s first penalty shootout defeat at a World Cup.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 11 July 2026
  • Two men and three boys, ages 15, 16 and 17, allegedly attacked a man as a group, knocking him unconscious and inflicting what were described as life-threatening injuries.
    — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Definition of inflicting
Verb
  • Located in the Dartmoor foothills, some 20 minutes from the bohemian market town of Totnes, it’s reached along a series of narrow farm tracks, past a set of imposing stone gates overrun by wildflowers and accompanied by a classic keeper’s cottage.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 15 July 2026
  • Van Hoytema fills the giant frame with imposing images shot in evocative international locations, grand and powerful in scale.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
Definition of imposing

Browse Nearby Words

passing muster
passing off
passing (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Passing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing%20off. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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