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
Fifty-two seconds later, Jill Saulnier placed a perfect shot pass off Philips’ pad to a driving Sophie Shirley.
—
Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 10 May 2026
The standout Indian kitchen has tandoor ovens — an industry rarity — meaning curries arrive with real naan instead of the pita many other ships pass off as a substitute.
—David Dickstein, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
Sure enough, a member of the security team snagged the jersey, and it was passed off to a man who admired the jersey sitting in the ride behind Leo.
—CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
The original movie was passed off as a documentary on death, but paired mostly staged violence with real footage taken at murder scenes and accident sites, blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
—Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pass off
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Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 10 May 2026
The standout Indian kitchen has tandoor ovens — an industry rarity — meaning curries arrive with real naan instead of the pita many other ships pass off as a substitute.
—David Dickstein, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
Sure enough, a member of the security team snagged the jersey, and it was passed off to a man who admired the jersey sitting in the ride behind Leo.
—CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
The original movie was passed off as a documentary on death, but paired mostly staged violence with real footage taken at murder scenes and accident sites, blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
—Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
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 14 May. 2026.
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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