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pass off
verb
passed off; passing off; passes off
1
: to make public or offer for sale with intent to deceive
2
: to give a false identity or character to
Examples of pass off in a Sentence
the con man tried to pass off a piece of blue glass as a sapphire
Recent Examples on the Web
The film’s last half-hour collapses into an unfunny, extended appearance by that aforementioned legacy artist — the kind of star cameo that The Simpsons often succumbs to these days, passing off a famous person playing themselves as the height of comedy.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
Shopping secondhand isn’t the same as re-gifting (like passing off last week’s ugly sweater to someone else).
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2024
Graham Mertz completed 7 of 10 passes off play-action for two touchdowns after throwing off play-action just nine times through the first five games.
—Jesse Temple, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
The Times reports the Trump campaign’s low spending may be by design, as filings show the campaign appears to have passed off many traditional campaign expenses—like payroll and venues for Trump’s campaign rallies—to other groups affiliated with the campaign and RNC.
—Alison Durkee, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near pass off
Cite this Entry
“Pass off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pass%20off. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
pass off
verb
: to give a false identity to : describe untruthfully
Legal Definition
pass off
transitive verb1
: to make public or offer for sale (goods or services) with intent to deceive : palm off
passing his product off as that of the plaintiff's—W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton
see also unfair competition
2
: to give a false identity or character to
they created the documents on the day of the trial and passed them off as being made earlier
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