WordLens

pass off

1 of 1verb
/ˈpæs ˈɔf/
Forms:passes off,passing off,passed off,passed off
1

to present oneself or something as someone or something else in a deceptive manner

  • He tried to pass off his counterfeit bills as real money, but the cashier immediately noticed and called the police.
  • I can't believe he was able to pass off that ridiculous excuse as the truth.
  • She tried to pass the fake painting off as an original Picasso.
  • During the event, he passed himself off as a reporter and gained access to the celebrities.
  • He passed himself off as a lawyer to get inside information.
2

to happen, usually referring to an event or a situation

  • We were told the meeting would pass off in the conference room, but it was moved to the hall.
  • They were concerned about potential disruptions, but the parade passed off smoothly.
  • The celebrations passed off without any issues.
  • She waited to see if the rumors would pass off as true events.
  • The predicted storm never passed off, much to everyone's relief.
Synonyms:
come aboutbetideoccurcomebefallfall outhaphappendevelopgo onpasstake placetranspire[take] place
3

to disappear slowly over time

  • As the hours went by, her initial excitement began to pass off.
  • The fog started to pass off as the morning sun rose higher.
  • The symptoms were severe at first, but they passed off after a few days.
  • The storm clouds began to pass off, revealing a clear blue sky.
  • The pain in my leg passed off after taking the medication.
Synonyms:
fadeblow overfleetpassevanesce
4

to ignore or dismiss something

  • He felt unwell but decided to pass it off as fatigue and continued working.
  • She passed off the warning signs, believing everything would be alright.
  • He tried to pass off the criticism, pretending it didn't bother him.
  • Despite the evident issues, the manager passed them off, causing further problems in the project.
  • They passed the feedback off, thinking it wasn't important.
5

to present or promote something or someone as genuine or authentic when it is not

  • It's illegal to pass off copied software as original licensed versions.
  • She passed herself off as a real estate expert, despite having no experience in the field.
  • The art forger passed off the imitation as a masterpiece from the Renaissance era.
  • She passed herself off as a real estate expert, despite having no experience in the field.
  • The street vendor passed off fake branded watches as genuine ones to unsuspecting tourists.
6

to release gases, smells, or vapors

  • The old car engine passed off thick black smoke whenever it was started.
  • After the chemical reaction, the solution began to pass off a visible vapor.
  • As the fruit decayed, it passed an unpleasant odor off.
  • Certain foods cause the body to pass gases off more frequently.
  • The factory seemed to pass off an unpleasant odor that the town's residents complained about.
Synonyms:
emitbreathe