passing off

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 Up to now, those accused of passing off a computer’s writing as their own have tended to either apologize or deny it. — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 In academia, there is no greater sin than passing off another’s work as one’s own. — Roger J. Kreuz, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026 People are passing off workslop to their colleagues, accusing each other of lazy AI use, picking fights over who's smarter than AI and punting questions from their direct reports. — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 The offense works on the underneath passing tree while the defense simulates coverage rules and passing off cross-under routes. — Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing off
Verb
  • Officials posted abroad wishing to defect must dexterously evade state security officials stationed alongside them and come to peace with the fact that loved ones back home will surely be punished.
    — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Please join me in wishing them all the best on their next endeavors.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The crew threw live birds at her, inflicting real injuries and once coming dangerously close to hurting her eye.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The plaintiffs challenging the project claim the work is inflicting irreversible damage.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The organ has an imposing physical presence, but its expressive range can become constricting over 13 tracks.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The four plaintiffs — Carvajal, Gonzalez, Ratchkauskas and Mojena — contend that FIU violated their constitutional rights by imposing sanctions over private conversations that, however offensive, did not constitute genuine threats.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Passing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing%20off. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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