palming

present participle of palm
as in wishing
to offer (something fake, useless, or inferior) as genuine, useful, or valuable another low-rent company trying to palm cheesy merchandise upon mail-order customers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 palming Of the billionaires who line up on the Messeplatz for the First Choice VIP opening at Art Basel, few would be out of place palming handshakes and quaffing Champagne at the Steigenberger Icon Grandhotel Belvédère. Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 20 Mar. 2026 The school also posted a picture of the center, who reportedly has a 7-4 wingspan, palming two basketballs on the program’s website. Alex Valdes, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palming
Verb
  • In fact, many of the flats that follow bring all the polish of your favorite heels—without leaving you wishing you’d worn them instead.
    Kate Boswell, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Over the years, the couple filled the box with slips of paper wishing to have healthy, successful kids, Reddington said as Lindsay Clancy wiped away tears.
    Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • He has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, the department said.
    Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Of course, this horrid wave of diarrhea-inflicting illness wasn’t dumped from the sky by a crown-sporting octogenarian president zooming around in a fighter jet.
    Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In recent days, the White House has turned from threatening attacks to imposing sanctions.
    Susan Page, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Savannah City Council is poised to join several other municipal and county governments along the I-95 corridor in imposing a 155-day moratorium on large data center developments.
    Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • No foisting me on another mother too overwhelmed to notice.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
  • In the vein of each family dwelling, the village courtroom becomes an amphitheater of sorts, foisting upon its participants a sense of outward performance, while simultaneously exposing them to the elements.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 12 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Palming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palming. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!