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
Tom’s nagging emptiness does not have a core of profundity, but he’s also not passed off as a comic type (despite hauling out the same story about a bet with Rafael Nadal).
—
Nicolas Rapold, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
Can pass off empty seats as just spoiled fans disinterested in a losing season.
—Steve Buckley, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
If the courts find that Moderna infringed the patents, the company should pay its own penalty, not pass off the cost to hardworking American taxpayers.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
The nail in the coffin came in the fourth quarter when Isaak threw a football pass off an inbound to a streaking Conley, who threw down a ferocious one-hand dunk, giving the Wolves a 69-50 lead with just over two minutes remaining.
—Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pass off
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Nicolas Rapold, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
Can pass off empty seats as just spoiled fans disinterested in a losing season.
—Steve Buckley, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
If the courts find that Moderna infringed the patents, the company should pay its own penalty, not pass off the cost to hardworking American taxpayers.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
The nail in the coffin came in the fourth quarter when Isaak threw a football pass off an inbound to a streaking Conley, who threw down a ferocious one-hand dunk, giving the Wolves a 69-50 lead with just over two minutes remaining.
—Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 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 25 Mar. 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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