fob off
Britishverb
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to appease or trick (a person) with lies or excuses
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to dispose of (goods) by trickery
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Sell or dispose of goods by fraud or deception, as in They tried to fob off the zircon as a diamond . [c. 1600]
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Put off or appease by deceitful means, as in We needed her help but were fobbed off by promises . [c. 1600]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ms Mannings reflected on how people often ask "are you OK?" - but it's a vague question, easy to "fob off".
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2025
I have never read any major news story so inappropriately world-weary — and so willing to fob off the press’ failures on the public.
From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2019
The occult, the creepy, the just plain weird: this is exactly the kind of thing that ordinary detectives fob off onto the Peculiar Crimes team, if they possibly can.
From New York Times ● Nov. 26, 2014
I wouldn’t put it past Roger to play on Pete’s ambition and sense of self-importance and fob off on him some of the non-recreational aspects of the job.
From Slate ● May 8, 2012
Well, I'll hear it, sir; yet you must not think to fob off our disgrace with a tale: but, an't please you, deliver.
From Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
