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
Relevance
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
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
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
Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing off
Verb
-
Please join me in wishing them the very best.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Oct. 2025
-
For travelers wishing to support recovery efforts, these are some of the groups currently working on the ground to help the people and communities in areas affected by the storm.—
Terry Ward,
AFAR Media,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Attorneys filed charges of driving under the influence causing injury with enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury in the crash.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Jurors also found true sentencing enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury on the victim.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For those who prefer not to walk for hours under the imposing Brazilian sun, renting a car may prove to be the most comfortable method of touring the city.—
Greyson Ferguson,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
-
But the tariffs spooked American businesses, prompting a court challenge, contending that the president had exceeded his authority in imposing the tariffs.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Passing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing%20off. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share