pass off
verb
passed off; passing off; passes off
1
: to make public or offer for sale with intent to deceive
2
: to give a false identity or character to
Examples of pass off in a Sentence
the con man tried to pass off a piece of blue glass as a sapphire
Recent Examples on the Web
One tactic smugglers use is passing off African greys as species that can still be legally exported, such as green and red-fronted parrots.
—
Rene Ebersole, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2025
The cast of Moonlight then took the stage where Horowitz passed off the award to director Barry Jenkins who proceeded to give a speech of his own.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
New York City’s political power is officially passing off to the millennial generation.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
On the final chance in the first half, the Dolphins couldn’t even get the Hail Mary pass off, with Tagovailoa taking a sack.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pass off
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Rene Ebersole, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2025
The cast of Moonlight then took the stage where Horowitz passed off the award to director Barry Jenkins who proceeded to give a speech of his own.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
New York City’s political power is officially passing off to the millennial generation.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
On the final chance in the first half, the Dolphins couldn’t even get the Hail Mary pass off, with Tagovailoa taking a sack.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pass off
Cite this Entry
“Pass off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pass%20off. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
pass off
transitive verb1
: to make public or offer for sale (goods or services) with intent to deceive : palm off
passing his product off as that of the plaintiff's—W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton
see also unfair competition
W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton2
: to give a false identity or character to
they created the documents on the day of the trial and passed them off as being made earlier
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