fob off

as in to wish
to offer (something fake, useless, or inferior) as genuine, useful, or valuable people who try to fob off to charities broken-down furniture that is fit only for the junkyard

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 fob off While attempting to film his daughter's dance, Miguel Angel Michel, 66, couldn't control his feet and eventually fobbed off his phone altogether, earning 4.2 million views on TikTok. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025 Not only does Israel not have spare luxury jets lying around to fob off on the American president, but the country took nine years to retrofit and launch its own version of Air Force One, and the process was a national fiasco. Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025 But despite previous transparency around the cost-cutting measures, employees inquiring about how the budget cuts have impacted their performance review will now be fobbed off. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2023 Most chose instead to fob off the hard decisions to central bankers. William Pesek, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fob off
Verb
  • Those wishing to provide monetary support to Heinz's parents, Shane and Amber, can do so through either Venmo or PayPal ([email protected]).
    Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 26 July 2025
  • Alexander Isak wishing to leave Newcastle United is one thing; working out who could afford to buy him is quite another.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 25 July 2025
Verb
  • The storm was around 155 miles southwest of Zihuatanejo, on Mexico's Pacific coastline, on June 30 and is expected to pass off the Baja California Peninsula this week.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 1 July 2025
  • Taking the ball out under the Celtics’ hoop, Hannum launched a 94-foot pass off the backboard into the hands of Bob Pettit, who had 39 points and 19 rebounds.
    The Athletic NBA Staff, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • Indeed, Denmark are the side who inflicted the last genuine shock at the European Championship, in 2017.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 22 July 2025
  • Retiree pensions continue to inflict great pain on municipal finances, gobbling up more than 20% of general fund dollars in at least a half-dozen Orange County cities.
    Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 18 July 2025
Verb
  • Trump hasn’t retreated from imposing all of the tariffs—far from it.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
  • Several communities — including Highland Park, Schaumburg, Glen Ellyn and Lombard — have recently imposed age limits on riders, while Burr Ridge has banned e-scooters from its streets.
    Paulina Czupryna, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • The unique shape helps keep your palm off the table while offering a spot for your thumb to rest.
    Brenda Stolyar, Wired News, 9 May 2025
  • And there’s an art to delegating, without seemingly palming off work to your team.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2023
Verb
  • One of the others mimed palming the girl’s rear while the third snapped a photo.
    Dan Greene, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
  • With his feet still inside the penalty area, but his right arm extended beyond its edge, Henderson took the ball almost off Haaland’s foot and palmed it away from his goal, towards the touchline.
    Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 18 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fob off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fob%20off. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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