pass 1 of 3

verb

ˈpas How to pronounce pass (audio)
Definition of passnext
1
as in to hand
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another could you please pass me the phone?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to stop
to come to an end eventually, the storm passed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to leave
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another pass your forms to the department head once they're filled out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to enact
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action Congress cannot pass any law restricting free speech

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to happen
to take place and the destruction of the town came to pass, just as the seer had predicted

Synonyms & Similar Words
6
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

Synonyms & Similar Words
7
as in to say
to express (a thought or emotion) in words he'll occasionally pass some insightful comment, but in general he doesn't have much to contribute

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in to refuse
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to we appreciate the invitation to the party, but we'll have to pass I'll pass on the coffee

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in to fly
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval the finished product isn't perfect, but it will pass

Synonyms & Similar Words

pass

2 of 3

noun (1)

1
as in canyon
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage a mountain pass that was impassable during the winter

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in road
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel take the second pass on the right

Synonyms & Similar Words

pass

3 of 3

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in attempt
an effort to do or accomplish something a final pass at the assignment

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in realization
the state of being actual or complete eventually, all their career goals came to pass

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
If passed, the bill would have allowed people adopted in California to receive a copy of their original birth certificate. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Croatia’s parliament, the Sabor, in January passed an Islands Act aimed at improving life for islanders. — Lefteris Pitarakis, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
Taylor has become a key pass rusher for the 4-0 Bruins going into Saturday’s game against Oregon. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 But after catching a 55-yard pass in the Chiefs’ 30-27 win over the Raiders, Thornton left the game because of the injury. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pass
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pass
  1. hand
  2. stop
  3. leave
  4. enact
  5. happen
  6. undergo
  7. say
  8. refuse
Verb
  • The twist is, the would-be brides and grooms must hand total control of their love lives to their families.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • One day earlier, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget granted $20 million to CBP before the money was handed to the advertising agency.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of hand
Verb
  • Boulder is not trying to regulate greenhouse gas emissions or stop the companies from continuing to produce oil and gas, Russell said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Service is incredibly attentive and personable; everyone will want to stop and chat throughout the day.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of stop
Verb
  • Jim Woolery was a dealmaker at the white-shoe law firm Cravath before leaving to run M&A at JPMorgan.
    — Ellen DiMauro, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • If a client’s business looks the same six months after an engagement ends, or if the gains fade the moment the vendor leaves, that was delivery.
    — Vikas Verma, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of leave
Verb
  • Pan, a pediatrician, made national headlines while in the Legislature for leading California’s efforts to enact strict school vaccine laws.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The earliest Democrats could enact new maps would be for the 2028 election.
    — Colin Pascal, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of enact
Verb
  • Generally, meetings happen at least once per year, but the cadence may vary based on complexity and the scope of the engagement.
    — Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Though he’s dedicated to Snook’s Arm, Calvin realizes that strange things are happening.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of happen
Verb
  • The two new satellites underwent integration and testing at SFL’s facility in Vaughan, Ontario.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The pursuit of greater efficiency has also been applied to the company’s workforce, which has undergone recent layoffs.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of undergo
Verb
  • Salkar said a medico-legal case had been opened and an autopsy would follow.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines are among the countries that are most exposed to food security risk from the super El Niño and also face the highest risk of civil unrest due to rising prices, Verisk Maplecroft said.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of say
Verb
  • The court may, in fact, be on the verge of requiring taxpayers to fund religious schools that refuse to admit LGBTQ students and parents.
    — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The snack company refused and asked the band to stop throwing Cheez-Its from the stage.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of refuse

Phrases Containing pass

Browse Nearby Words

pasquinading
pass
passable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pass. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pass

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pass

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All