fob off
"fob-off" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“fob off” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - 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.
Corpus desk
Index EN-fob-off · fob off · English
fob off · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "F" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | fob off |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “fob off” in English
Rare enough to double-check
fob off is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
No misspelling variants are generated for fob off in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is fob off, spelled F-O-B- -O-F-F.
Definition
- 1To 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.
- 2To fraudulently dispose of (goods).
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how fob off appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
When I phoned up, I was fobbed off with a string of excuses.
You must not think to fob off our disgrace ; but, an't please you, deliver.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.