pass off

as in to wish
to offer (something fake, useless, or inferior) as genuine, useful, or valuable the con man tried to pass off a piece of blue glass as a sapphire

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of pass off 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 Sprung by a pass off the wall from the neutral zone by linemate James van Riemsdyk, Johnson tracked the puck down and pulled to a quick stop on the left dot to create a bit of space with Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram. Aaron Portzline, The Athletic, 5 Feb. 2025 Wine fraud can take various forms; culprits sometimes combine lesser wines to resemble bottles of top-tier vintages (as Kurniawan did), or sometimes simply pass off a cheaper wine as a more expensive one by faking the labels, cork and foil. Chris Hall, WIRED, 18 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for pass off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pass off
Verb
  • For Moss’ character, June Osborne, being stripped of all agency left her curled on a closet floor wishing for the end of her life.
    Trish Deitch, Variety, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Jon Rahm, the 2023 Masters champion and one of the biggest names on LIV Golf, wishes that a merger were closer but is also not ready to dwell on that during the first major of the season.
    Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Additional charges were added for inflicting great bodily injury – which included domestic violence.
    Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The assault escalated into a violent spectacle, with The Rock employing a belt to inflict further damage.
    Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Trump defended his decision to impose tariffs, saying that the trade situation with U.S. partners was unsustainable and that someone needed to act.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The suspension also does not extend to industry-specific tariffs that Trump imposed on steel, aluminum and auto imports.
    Joey Garrison, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • And there’s an art to delegating, without seemingly palming off work to your team.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2023
  • Giannoli’s narrator lays out press performance in Balzacian details that sound absolutely contemporary: News, debate, and ideas had become goods to palm off on subscribers.
    Armond White, National Review, 10 June 2022
Verb
  • 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
Verb
  • Both teams threatened with Mikel Merino’s header palmed away by Matz Sels and David Raya denying Chris Wood at the other end.
    James McNicholas, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
  • His stunning, one-handed outlet passes — often completed in a single fluid motion, without ever bringing the ball below his shoulders after palming the rebound — resemble water polo passes.
    Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pass off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pass%20off. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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