Killing, Damaging, Deceiving (Off): English Vocabulary List

to kill someone, typically in a deliberate, sudden, or violent manner

"The gangster bumped off his rival."

"The crime boss ordered his henchman to bump off the witness before he could testify in court."

to dispose of something by giving or selling it to someone else though persuasion or deception

"He palms off fake goods as real."

"The dishonest salesman tried to palm off a fake designer watch as a genuine luxury brand product."

to present oneself or something as someone or something else in a deceptive manner

"He passed off a fake."

"The con artist tried to pass off a counterfeit watch as a genuine designer piece."

to pretend not to be affected by a certain emotion or reaction

"He played off his fear."

"Even though he was deeply hurt, he managed to play off his emotions and appear unfazed."

(of an illness) to cause the death of a person or many people

"The flu carried him off."

"The virulent epidemic threatened to carry off a significant portion of the vulnerable population."

(of a gun, bomb, etc.) to be fired or to explode

"The alarm will go off."

"The soldiers were warned that the mines could go off if they stepped on them carelessly during the patrol."

to cause the death of a character in a work of fiction, typically for dramatic effects or to advance the plot

"They decided to kill off the hero."

"The author chose to kill off the protagonist in the sequel to create a shocking and unexpected twist."

to take someone's life, typically in association with criminal activity

"They knocked him off."

"The detective suspected that the syndicate had ordered a hit to knock off the rival gang leader."

to cause an explosive weapon to discharge

"Let off the firework."

"The soldier was ordered to let off a single shot to signal the all-clear."

to target and shoot individuals one after another

"The sniper will pick off enemies."

"The skilled marksman was tasked to pick off the enemy leaders one by one."

to kill someone intentionally and with prior planning

"They will polish off him."

"The assassins had meticulously planned to polish off their target during the gala."

to activate a bomb, an explosive, etc.

"Do not set off."

"The bomb squad worked diligently to disarm the device and prevent anyone from accidentally setting it off."