English · Phrasal verb Attested

fob off

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Also seen as: fub off

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To use lies, excuses, or deceit to satisfy (someone); to deceitfully appease someone by giving something that is spurious or inferior from what was wanted or expected.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Dùng dối trá hoặc lừa đảo để làm hài lòng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

When I phoned up, I was fobbed off with a string of excuses.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To fraudulently dispose of (goods).

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bán hoặc thanh lý hàng giả hoặc kém chất lượng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “fob off” mean?

To use lies, excuses, or deceit to satisfy (someone); to deceitfully appease someone by giving something that is spurious or inferior from what was wanted or expected.

Is “fob off” formal or informal?

fob off is generally informal.