Phrasal verb
fob off with
Definition
phrasal verb. to give someone a poor excuse or a low-quality item instead of what they actually asked for.
phrasal verb. to persuade someone to accept something of less value or an unsatisfactory explanation in order to avoid a request or complaint.
Examples
“Don't let them fob you off with a cheap replacement.”
“When I asked for a refund, the manager tried to fob me off with a store credit voucher.”
“The government attempted to fob the public off with vague promises of reform rather than addressing the systemic issues directly.”
Examples
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.”
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'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
off with
Separability
optional
Pattern
fob + object + off + with + something
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/fob-off-with