passing off

verb

present participle of pass off
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

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 passing off Up to now, those accused of passing off a computer’s writing as their own have tended to either apologize or deny it. — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 In academia, there is no greater sin than passing off another’s work as one’s own. — Roger J. Kreuz, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026 People are passing off workslop to their colleagues, accusing each other of lazy AI use, picking fights over who's smarter than AI and punting questions from their direct reports. — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 The offense works on the underneath passing tree while the defense simulates coverage rules and passing off cross-under routes. — Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026 Adam Gordon, the book’s protagonist, is always passing off someone else’s language as his own. — Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026 But the overall reality is simple, lying in the hands of the head man still pulling the strings despite passing off the play-calling reins. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026 Ocean carriers are reacting in kind, passing off the war-risk premiums to their customers. — Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 2 Mar. 2026 Gimbel attributed the practice of AI washing to companies passing off diminished margins and revenue from a failure to effectively navigate cautious consumers and geopolitical tensions to AI. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing off
  1. wishing
  2. inflicting
  3. imposing
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
Definition of wishing
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
Definition of inflicting
Verb
  • The film follows a daughter trying to accompany her mother through her final stage, navigating the challenge of remaining close without denying the loss or imposing a particular way of experiencing it.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Across the lot in an unused patch of pavement, pops of bright orange and yellow reach skyward toward the imposing barbed wire that’s laced atop metal security bars.
    — Leigh-Ann Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of imposing

Browse Nearby Words

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

Cite this Entry

“Passing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing%20off. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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