to fob

Examples

• All

• Hey, Pauly, they're trying to fob you off with this musical charlatan, but I gave him the test.

  A Hard Day's Night (1964)

• Don't try and fob me off.

  Heavenly Creatures (1994)

• How did he fob you off?

  Academic text (2015)

• I'll fob 'em all off.

  Fiction book (1993)

• I cannot fob your uncle off with another story about the price of candles.

  Fiction book (1991)

• Don't try and fob me off!

  Fiction book (1994)

• It's much easier to fob people off with dandified airs and a fine suit of clothes.

  Fiction book (1993)

• She'll fob you off with some crap about economic constraints and then you nail her on oil and gas companies ring-fencing their profits.

  Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025)

• She tried to fob me off with an excuse about being busy, but I knew she just didn't want to help.

• You can't just fob your friends off with false promises and expect them to trust you again.

Synonyms

T

to trick

vsto fob

326 3.5

To make someone believe something false so you can get what you want

focuses specifically on causing acceptance of false or less valuable things

C

to con

vsto fob

• Informal

61 7.3

To trick someone into giving their money or things

is more about making someone take a false or inferior thing rather than just money

F

to foist

vsto fob

20 8.4

Force or trick someone into accepting something they do not want

highlights passing off false or less valuable items to someone

P

to play tricks

vsto fob

15 3.0

To make someone believe something that is not true as a joke

is not playful but aims to make someone accept something false or less valuable

C

to con out of

vsto fob

• Slang

6 8.1

To trick someone into giving you their money or other things

is distinct by aiming to make someone accept something false or low value

P

to play a trick on

vsto fob

6 2.8

To fool someone as a joke

is less playful and instead aims to make someone accept a false or poor item

P

to play a joke on

vsto fob

• Informal

5 3.2

To trick someone in a friendly way to make them laugh

carries no joking aim and seeks to make someone accept a false or inferior item

P

to pull a fast one on

vsto fob

• Informal

5 8.1

To trick someone to gain an advantage

is more specific, aiming to make someone accept a false or inferior item

F

to fob off

vsto fob

• Informal

1 8.8

To give someone a fake or low quality thing and pretend it is real

is specifically about making someone accept something false or less valuable

F

to foist off

vsto fob

1 9.4

Sell fake or bad things by tricking someone

is about causing acceptance of something false or lower in value

F

to flim-flam

vsto fob

• Archaic

1 9.5

To trick someone by using clever talk

is narrower, focusing on getting someone to accept a false or poor item

F

to fox

vsto fob

1 8.1

To trick someone by being clever to gain advantage

is specifically about passing off false or inferior items to someone

P

to palm off

vsto fob

• Informal

7.9

To trick someone into buying a fake or unwanted thing

focuses on making someone accept something false or less valuable

C

to con someone

vsto fob

• Slang

7.7

To trick someone to get their money

centres on causing acceptance of a false or less valuable object rather than only gain

B

to befool

vsto fob

9.9

To trick someone so they look silly

is about making someone accept something false or of lower value rather than humiliation

Phrasal Verbs

F

to fob off

• Informal

1 8.8

To give someone a fake or low quality thing and pretend it is real

Compounds

K

key fob

1 3.8

A small electronic device on a key ring that opens doors or starts a car

K

key fob

3.6

A small thing on a key ring that makes keys easier to find

How Deceptive

to swindle

20 5.5

to fob

• Informal

1 9.4

to trick

326 3.5

to dupe

58 6.4

to mislead

87 3.9

Surface Forms

Etymology