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
Details regarding the closing ceremony remain under lock-and-key, but one detail that is known is that Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo will be passing off the Olympic flag to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
—
Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 1 Aug. 2024
The siege of civilians and other war crimes must not be passed off in euphemisms.
—Annie Sparrow, Foreign Affairs, 11 Jan. 2017
Once on the ground, Jason & Co. learn that Drew has a side hustle, training the SOGs on the side (passing off Rambo movie moves as non-standard SEAL tactics).
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 12 Aug. 2024
Lake tried to pass off her hostility to McCain as a joke earlier this year, sparking another round of anger from McCain’s daughter Meghan McCain.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pass off 
Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 1 Aug. 2024
The siege of civilians and other war crimes must not be passed off in euphemisms.
—Annie Sparrow, Foreign Affairs, 11 Jan. 2017
Once on the ground, Jason & Co. learn that Drew has a side hustle, training the SOGs on the side (passing off Rambo movie moves as non-standard SEAL tactics).
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 12 Aug. 2024
Lake tried to pass off her hostility to McCain as a joke earlier this year, sparking another round of anger from McCain’s daughter Meghan McCain.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pass off
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pass off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pass off
Cite this Entry
“Pass off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pass%20off. Accessed 21 Sep. 2024.
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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