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
  • Cure should not mean handing a young adult a treatment summary and wishing them well.
    Vidya Puthenpura, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Those who remain and continue to support the most corrupt administration in our nation's history are here, wishing for our bakery to burn to the ground.
    Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Ferrari was charged with injuries to a police dog, recklessly endangering another person and inflicting injury to a domestic animal, the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office said.
    Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Hicks, 37, was charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, felony assault by strangulation and misdemeanor simple assault, officials said.
    Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • As the technology has progressed at a rapid clip, Congress has refrained from imposing rules or funding ways for people to successfully adjust to the potential changes from AI.
    STEVEN SLOAN, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The European Union's top official proposed on Wednesday banning children under 13 across the 27-nation bloc from using social media sites and imposing limits for older teens on accessing the platforms.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 2026.

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