pass 1 of 3

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as in to hand
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another could you please pass me the phone?

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as in to undergo
to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it a presidential candidate who doesn't yet know how it feels to pass the scrutiny of the national press

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as in to fly
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval the finished product isn't perfect, but it will pass

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pass

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noun (1)

pass

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noun (2)

1
as in ticket
a small sheet of plastic, paper, or paperboard showing that the bearer has a claim to something (as admittance) a pass to leave the military base for the weekend

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pass
Verb
At least 17 states have passed legislation in recent years regulating the machines, and some municipalities have moved to ban them outright. ABC News, 9 Oct. 2025 The hormones pass from the patch through the skin and into the bloodstream. Merrill Fabry, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
Tim Durocher ran for a score and threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to lead Plymouth South (3-1) to a 20-15 win over Patriot League foe Scituate. Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 4 Oct. 2025 For that — and for his pass breakup, seven tackles, and one tackle for loss — Pruitt has been voted by readers as The Charlotte Observer’s Football Player of the Week. Steve Lyttle, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pass
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pass
Verb
  • With Trocheck serving as an alternate captain under Miller, who joined the Rangers in a January trade with the Canucks, the 32-year-old centers have been handed the leadership reins for a team that is coming off a calamitous 2024-25 season.
    Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • In traditional animation, a director crafts a story at storyboard phase trying to craft their story then hands it over to animation artists.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But her six-figure salary didn’t stop her from using the Foundation as her personal piggy bank, records show.
    Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Witkoff, Rubio, and Kushner then streamlined the proposal to a two-phase structure—first, a ceasefire and exchange of hostages and prisoners to stop the fighting; second, a framework for Gaza's future, including disarmament and a technocratic transitional government.
    Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Vital witnesses were killed in the blast All 16 people inside the facility died in the blast, leaving behind a devastated network of coworkers and loved ones as well as depriving investigators of crucial accounts of the final moments leading up to the explosion.
    Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Most of those who shaped or even marginally influenced the events of October 7th are gone, leaving Gaza’s authority withered to the point that even managing the hostages has become paralyzingly difficult.
    Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The city has enacted a more aggressive policy stance to limit the impacts of tent and vehicle encampments — panned as draconian by some advocates — in conjunction with its heavy investment in interim housing solutions.
    Devan Patel, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
  • In a dressing room, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end concentrates while practicing carrying his then-girlfriend during the Tortured Poets Department section of the three-hour show, with the scene cutting to the couple re-enacting it in full costume on stage.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There was a chill in the air, but for Liverpool’s midfielder, newly arrived from Spain, the real culture shock was what happened on the pitch.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • At the time, authorities said several companies operated on the Accurate Energetic Systems property, but the blast happened in an area operated by Rio Ammunition.
    Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • She’s tasked with revitalizing a network that has undergone numerous leadership changes and reshuffling over the last decade.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • His granddaughter suffers from a heart problem, has undergone two surgeries and needs a third.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The temperature change — a drop of 20C/35F Poch said — was cited as a ‘massive risk’ for injuries by the USMNT head coach after a 2-1 win in which Christian Pulisic suffered a muscle strain.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • At the time, authorities said several companies operated on the Accurate Energetic Systems property, but the blast happened in an area operated by Rio Ammunition.
    Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • What isn’t known — and what university and fraternity officials have refused to discuss — is what happened in the basement of the three-story house in the 1300 block of West Campus Road, before the young man lost consciousness.
    Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Thomas, alas, can refuse any trade after taking the qualifying offer this summer and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pass. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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