as in palming off
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
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Recent Examples of passing off
The indictment also accused him of intentionally submitting checks drawn on insufficient funds and allegedly passing off another person’s Internet Movie Database Page as his own to convince one victim of his industry bona fides.
—
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing off
Verb
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Festival is an ideal place for those wishing for a warm welcome – but cold.—
Mattias Goldmann,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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King Charles and Prince Harry have been taking steps towards reconciliation, but everyone understands that, after the issues the two have had, ending their feud isn’t just a matter of wishing it.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Their shared belief in the importance of cinema breaks through the screen, contagiously inflicting those watching, striking a hopeful tone to cherish and admire that also prevents the film from appearing earnest and naive.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
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For now, there’s much more acute pain Julia and Henry are inflicting upon us.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Just as California’s restaurants lost 23,000 jobs after imposing a $20 fast-food wage, San Diego hotels will lose 4,000 jobs annually and generate fewer taxes, reducing funds for essential government services.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
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Administration officials argue the emergency powers in IEEPA include imposing tariffs and that the financial penalties are needed to prod countries to negotiate better trade deals.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Passing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing%20off. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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