pawn off

verb

pawned off; pawning off; pawns off

transitive verb

: to get rid of or pass off usually by deception : palm off

Examples of pawn off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Ah, yes, nothing inspires creativity like pawning off a real chance to shine on an AI chatbot. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2024 For months, Adams has lambasted Abbott for failing to coordinate with the city in his response to the migrant situation and has blamed him for pawning off the crisis on cities around the U.S. Michael Gartland, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2024 The mayor has publicly blamed Abbott for pawning off the migrant crisis to other cities. Jennifer Bisram, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024 This shouldn’t mean just pawning off unattractive assets to private equity firms to wrench free the last years of cash from linear TV operations. Howard Homonoff, Forbes, 17 July 2023 That’s largely because of the 1033 program, a federal plan that authorizes the Department of Defense (DoD) to pawn off its outdated equipment, from grenade launchers to bayonets to armored vehicles, to local police units for just the cost of shipping. Nicole Goodkind, Fortune, 1 July 2020 Trying to pawn off the striking of a pedestrian as a driver is outrageous since the driver should have at all times been going at a speed sufficient to avoid a collision with a pedestrian. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 May 2021 Since the late 1990s, manufacturers tried to pawn off old-school frame bindings—the ones that elevate you off the ski and force you to lift an underfoot platform with each step—as the fix. Marc Peruzzi, Outside Online, 22 Feb. 2021 To pay their $1,500 monthly rent, Ms. Rivera had to pawn off the gold necklace her daughter received for her quinceañera. New York Times, 23 Jan. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pawn off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pawn off was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near pawn off

Cite this Entry

“Pawn off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pawn%20off. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

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