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
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Recent Examples of passed off
Throughout the case, Carnival’ attorneys maintained the cruise line wasn’t at fault and passed off blame to Rondon.
—
Vinod Sreeharsha
september 22, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
Lots of men would have passed off that rod because the fish fought so hard.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
Wilted lettuce doused in watery dressing passed off as salads.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 21 Aug. 2025
Wilted lettuce doused in watery dressing passed off as salads.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Wilted lettuce doused in watery dressing passed off as salads.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
The film claims to be a comedy but does not even attempt to rise above judgmental statements passed off as jokes and slapstick comedy.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Vinod Sreeharsha
september 22, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
Lots of men would have passed off that rod because the fish fought so hard.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
Wilted lettuce doused in watery dressing passed off as salads.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 21 Aug. 2025
Wilted lettuce doused in watery dressing passed off as salads.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Wilted lettuce doused in watery dressing passed off as salads.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
The film claims to be a comedy but does not even attempt to rise above judgmental statements passed off as jokes and slapstick comedy.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passed off
Verb
-
But the most important part of the story left unseen in the series is the gut-wrenching violence Gacy inflicted on his victims, both those who died and the few who survived.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Portlanders understand the tragic reality that’s been inflicted on us, which is why resistance here often looks more like performance art than warfare.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Trump had previously imposed 145% tariffs on China, then put them on hold to allow negotiations to play out.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Trump made his latest tariff threat on Friday after China imposed new restrictions on rare earth exports.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
He was later identified as a self-publicist rather than a protestor, and the boos that greeted his arrival among the players underlined that most fans had not wished for distractions on a night of high footballing stakes.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Speaking to Newsweek, the cats’ owner, who wished to remain anonymous, explained the change in Hex’s demeanor.—
Personal Finance,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Passed off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passed%20off. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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