pass off

verb

Definition of pass offnext
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 The economic costs were diffuse and passed off to future generations as additions to the national debt. — Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026 Carson had been off the air for about a year at the time, having passed off hosting the late-night program to Jay Leno upon his retirement. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026 Elliot Anderson swept up the second ball in midfield and laid a pass off to Morgan Rogers. — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 30 June 2026 Su-hun passed off the manuscript of Min-hui’s late sister as his latest novel. — Kayti Burt, Time, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pass off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pass off
  1. wish
  2. inflict
  3. impose
  4. palm off
  5. fob off
  6. palm
Verb
  • The mayor also asked New Yorkers to keep the surviving victim in their thoughts and wish them a full recovery.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • If the Angels — whether under current owner Arte Moreno or a future owner — wish to develop the 150-acre Angel Stadium property, state law would prioritize affordable housing within the site.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of wish
Verb
  • The Tehran region director of the NIOPDC also said that damage inflicted on Tehran’s petroleum product storage and distribution infrastructure during the war has created some constraints on fuel distribution.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The war has already battered Iran’s economy and inflicted mounting pain on ordinary people.
    — David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of inflict
Verb
  • And while several Asian countries imposed emergency measures to conserve fuel, a lengthy and catastrophic shortage never materialized.
    — Katie Silver, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Meta agreed to impose changes including a default two-hour daily time limit for teens across Facebook and Instagram, muted notifications during school hours, and enhanced parental controls, with more updates potentially on the horizon.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of impose
Verb
  • France took the lead with a solo try from Ntamack, who ran down the short side from about 22-meters out, dummied, palmed off a defender and crashed over in a tackle in the 52nd, and conversion from skipper Maxime Lucu.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
  • Lift your right palm off the ground and cross your torso to tap your left shoulder, then return your right hand to the ground.
    — Jenessa Connor, Health, 28 May 2026
Definition of palm off
Verb
  • Your potential clients are terrified of being sold the dream then fobbed off to a junior team member.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Not only does Israel not have spare luxury jets lying around to fob off on the American president, but the country took nine years to retrofit and launch its own version of Air Force One, and the process was a national fiasco.
    — Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
Definition of fob off
Verb
  • For the final punchline, Bounou shuffled right, stood upright, and palmed away Crysencio Summerville’s effort.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 7 July 2026
  • Al-Amri, who had a shot denied by Uruguay's Fernando Muslera earlier in the first half, put his squad ahead with a quick tap-in after Muslera palmed away a header.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 15 June 2026
Definition of palm

Browse Nearby Words

pass muster
pass off
pass (on)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pass off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pass%20off. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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