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
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Recent Examples of passing off
The indictment also accused him of intentionally submitting checks drawn on insufficient funds and allegedly passing off another person’s Internet Movie Database Page as his own to convince one victim of his industry bona fides.
—
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing off
Verb
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The article expressed a desire for Kirk to face trivial setbacks, emphasizing satirical intent while including later disclaimers about not wishing physical harm.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
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The latter is more binding for firms wishing to delay the release of critical data points to avoid competition.—
Lucy Xiaolu Wang,
The Conversation,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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These acts include killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, and deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to destroy a population.—
Faisal Kutty,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
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The charges include sentencing enhancements for the use of a deadly weapon and inflicting great bodily injury.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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People often say imposing spending limits in the Premier League will see its players flock abroad, but the reality is hardly any clubs outside England could afford the wages that would still be offered here, even under a salary cap.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
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Explore Lucerne’s Old Town From Zürich’s central station, a 50-minute train ride arrives in Lucerne, where the medieval town center evokes a fairy-tale village, kept safe behind its imposing Musegg Wall, and watched over by the towering Alps.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Passing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing%20off. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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