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
  • Now, with America having vociferously rejected Musk’s vision of governance, those wishing to drive something that reminds everyone around them of that vision will only have a few months more to purchase one.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
  • At the evening ceremony, where each director received a trophy and a cash prize of JPY1 million ($6,400), Rasoulof closed his acceptance speech by wishing for peace soon, not only in Iran but around the world.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Nov. 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
  • There are just under 5,000 burial vaults (all above ground), which include imposing mausoleums made of marble.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Occasionally, cinematographer Ben Davis even lines up those centuries-old face carvings behind Malkovich to note their resemblance to his imposing profile.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 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 10 Nov. 2026.

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