pass off

verb

passed off; passing off; passes off

transitive verb

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
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.
Focus on the glass balls, pass off the plastic balls and let the rubber balls bounce. Jay Gauthier Jr., Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 The attempt to pass off an anonymous dead body as Shiri’s was a grave violation of the cease-fire deal that is currently in place. The Editors, National Review, 24 Feb. 2025 Particularly encouraging was that the play was really created by rookie Marco Kasper, who won a battle behind his own net and then banked a stretch pass off the boards to spring Kane loose. Max Bultman, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025 Dexterous montage keeps being passed off as exploratory depth. Wesley Morris, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pass off

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pass off was in 1681

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pass off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pass%20off. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

pass off

verb
: to give a false identity to : describe untruthfully

Legal Definition

pass off

transitive verb
1
: 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'sW. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton
see also unfair competition
2
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on pass off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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