pass for
Be mistaken for
To pass for something is to be accepted as that thing, often when it's not quite true or involves deception.
A fake can pass for the original; someone might pass for younger than their age.
She could easily pass for a native speaker.
Historically, to pass for white meant a light-skinned Black person living as white to escape discrimination.
The phrase implies successful but perhaps questionable resemblance.
- impersonateAssume another's identity
- mimicOne who copies others
- misidentificationWrongly recognizing something
- assumed identityFabricated personal guise
- double lifeSecret parallel identity
masquerade · pose · wolf in sheep's clothing · pretense · false pretenses · put on an act · disguise · act · assumption · falsification · assimilation · likeness · belonging · acceptance · play a part · imitate · concealment · resemble
- pretendingpretend, pretending, fake, feign, make-believe
- resemblanceresemble, similar, alike, lookalike, likeness