ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fob off with

phr. v..
C1 Advanced Oxford British English Informal

phr. v.. to give someone a poor excuse or a low-quality item instead of what they actually asked for.

phr. v.. to persuade someone to accept something of less value or an unsatisfactory explanation in order to avoid a request or complaint.


SIMPLE

Don't let them fob you off with a cheap replacement.

CONTEXTUAL

When I asked for a refund, the manager tried to fob me off with a store credit voucher.

COMPLEX

The government attempted to fob the public off with vague promises of reform rather than addressing the systemic issues directly.

Particles
off with
Separability
optional
Pattern
fob + object + off + with + something
Usage

usually follows the pattern 'fob someone off with something'.

Teaching tip

highlight the deceptive or dismissive intent behind the action; it is more specific than 'deceive' because it involves giving a substitute.

Pitfall

He fobbed off me with an excuse.He fobbed me off with an excuse.when using a pronoun like 'me', it must come between 'fob' and 'off'.

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