verb
fob
To put someone off through deception, usually with an excuse or inferior substitute.
They tried to fob her off with a vague excuse.
Etymology
Fob originally meant to cheat or trick. The common combination “fob off” narrowed that deceptive action to dismissing a person’s request by supplying an excuse, evasion, or unsatisfactory substitute.
More examples
- He was tired of being fobbed off with inferior replacements.
- The clerk fobbed off the complaint on another department.
- She refused to let them fob her off again.
Forms
fob · fobs · fobbed · fobbing
Similar words
- deceive
- Deceive is general; fob off specifically dismisses or satisfies someone with an excuse or inadequate substitute.
- brush off
- Brush off dismisses someone; fob off often supplies a misleading explanation or replacement.