pass off

British  

verb

1. to be or cause to be accepted or circulated in a false character or identity

   he passed the fake diamonds off as real

2. (intr) to come to a gradual end; disappear

   eventually the pain passed off

3. to emit (a substance) as a gas or vapour, or (of a substance) to be emitted in this way

4. (intr) to take place

   the meeting passed off without disturbance

5. (tr) to set aside or disregard

   I managed to pass off his insult

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pass off Idioms  

1. Misrepresent something or someone, as in They tried to pass off that piece of glass as a gemstone , or Bill passed her off as his sister . [Late 1700s] Also see palm off .

2. Be completed or carried out, take place, as in The meeting passed off without incident . [Late 1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pass off

Opposing offenses built entire game plans around them, knowing it would often take throwing two guys in their way to give the quarterback a chance of getting a pass off.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Sure, it might be annoying that studios are trying to pass off overly enthusiastic five-star Letterboxd reviews as legitimate film criticism in marketing on posters and in trailers.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

So the test of this state visit will not be how well the ceremonies, speeches and walk-abouts pass off.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

Lehkonen collected the loose puck and took it the length of the ice before deflecting a centering pass off Kempe’s skate and by Forsberg for a short-handed goal, his second score of the series.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026

It was repetitive work; the muscles in his arms and lower back twinged as he stooped over and over to pass off refilled buckets and pick up empty ones.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray