sell as

sell (someone, something, or oneself) as (something)

To portray or represent someone, something, oneself as a particular kind of person or thing, especially in order to gain the approval o acceptance of others. They sold this legislation as a huge overhaul the tax system desperately needed, but it never came close to He's always selling himself as some kind of tortured artist, but I think he's just being pretentious. You'll have to really sell her as the best possible candidate for the job if you want the committee to approve of your recommendation.
See also: sell
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

sell someone or something as something

to put someone or something up for consideration as something. The political party tried to sell the candidate as a responsible administrator. The sales force was told to sell the paint as the best available anywhere.
See also: sell
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • leave (someone, something, or oneself) (wide) open for (something)
  • leave oneself wide open for
  • leave open
  • leave yourself wide open to something
  • leave (someone, something, or oneself) (wide) open to (something)
  • reproach (someone or something) with (something)
  • reproach with
  • for (one's) (own) sake
  • for sake
  • keep sight of somebody/something
References in classic literature
Perkins if they could call at just a few houses coming and going, and sell a little soap for the Simpsons, she at first replied decidedly in the negative.
Scalia, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Sandra Day O'Connor, fretted that defendants will see Sell as an open invitation to misuse the system and delay trial.
And now the court has upheld the theory that at the time the sponsor has converted the building it took a duty to sell as many shares as it could to create a viable cooperative.
France's sovereign wealth fund Fonds Strategique d'Investissement (FSI) had entered into an agreement in principle to sell a block of nearly 1.8m shares in Assystem SA (EPA:ASY) back to the engineering consultancy, the latter announced.
Francea[euro](tm)s sovereign wealth fund Fonds Strategique da[euro](tm)Investissement (FSI) had entered into an agreement in principle to sell a block of nearly 1.8m shares in Assystem SA (EPA:ASY) back to the engineering consultancy, the latter announced.