fob off

verb

fobbed off; fobbing off; fobs off

transitive verb

1
: to put off with a trick, excuse, or inferior substitute
2
: to pass or offer (something spurious) as genuine
3
: to put aside
now fob off what once they would have welcomed eagerlyWalter Lippmann

Examples of fob off in a Sentence

people who try to fob off to charities broken-down furniture that is fit only for the junkyard
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Not only does Israel not have spare luxury jets lying around to fob off on the American president, but the country took nine years to retrofit and launch its own version of Air Force One, and the process was a national fiasco. Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025 But despite previous transparency around the cost-cutting measures, employees inquiring about how the budget cuts have impacted their performance review will now be fobbed off. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2023 Most chose instead to fob off the hard decisions to central bankers. William Pesek, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fob off was in 1597

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Cite this Entry

“Fob off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fob%20off. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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