passed off

verb

past tense of pass off
as in inflicted
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 passed off Union members and their supporters were dressed colorfully, clad in red or green, and their march through the Brussels city center passed off peacefully. — Mark Carlson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Manipulated images of Meloni have repeatedly circulated online in recent years and have at times been passed off as authentic. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026 Both parents died before Mears was three, and he was passed off among relatives who didn’t want to care for him. — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 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 Su-hun passed off the manuscript of Min-hui’s late sister as his latest novel. — Kayti Burt, Time, 26 June 2026 Sure enough, a member of the security team snagged the jersey, and it was passed off to a man who admired the jersey sitting in the ride behind Leo. — CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026 The original movie was passed off as a documentary on death, but paired mostly staged violence with real footage taken at murder scenes and accident sites, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. — Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passed off
  1. inflicted
  2. imposed
  3. wished
  4. palmed off
  5. fobbed off
Verb
  • Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks have inflicted severe losses on the kingdom, with missiles hitting energy infrastructure and civilian airports, killing at least 20 people.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Economists at the New York Federal Reserve have found that these levies have inflicted a heavy hit on many common consumer goods.
    — Markus Schneider, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of inflicted
Verb
  • The bill imposed new pre-enrollment verification requirements on people buying insurance through the ACA marketplace, and ended enhanced premium tax credits implemented during the pandemic that drove down premiums.
    — Jack Harvel October 25, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Then, Hamas took control of Gaza, Israel imposed a blockade, there were years of Hamas rocket fire into Israel and Israeli retaliation.
    — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of imposed
Verb
  • The artist Rashid Johnson, who’d also made works for the restaurant, showed up and wished Humm a happy (belated) birthday.
    — Emma Allen, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The Kremlin said Putin wished Leo good health and a quick recovery.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of wished
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
  • While other firms have trimmed entry-level hiring as AI takes over the admin tasks normally palmed off to younger workers, EY is actively investing in early-career talent.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of palmed 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
Definition of fobbed off

Browse Nearby Words

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

Cite this Entry

“Passed off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passed%20off. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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