as in flash
lasting only for a short time
his parents were willing to buy him a piano if he demonstrated that his interest in music was more than a passing fancy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in death
the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities
the precise moment of his passing was recorded by the machines at his bedside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in very
to a great degree
a passing strange turn of events
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in handing
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another
could you please pass me the phone?
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in stopping
to come to an end
eventually, the storm passed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in leaving
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 enacting
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 happening
to take place
and the destruction of the town came to pass, just as the seer had predicted
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in experiencing
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 uttering
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 refusing
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 flying
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval
the finished product isn't perfect, but it will pass
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of passing
Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Thomas Brown, the New England Patriots’ passing game coordinator and tight ends coach, is also a football historian.
—D. Orlando Ledbetter, AJC.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Jesse Granger, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The Patriots have been held to 9 passing yards, as quarterback Drake Maye has been sacked three times already.
—CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Kings guard Russell Westbrook scored 13 points, passing Hakeem Olajuwon for 14th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for passing
Adjective
The Jets have hired Seth Ryan to be their new passing game coordinator.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Thomas Brown, the New England Patriots’ passing game coordinator and tight ends coach, is also a football historian.
—D. Orlando Ledbetter, AJC.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Noun
The moment between the two on stage was a symbolic passing of the torch.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The Patriots have been held to 9 passing yards, as quarterback Drake Maye has been sacked three times already.
—CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
Beyond poetry, this night evokes the Black tradition of oral history – passing down lessons, narratives and lived experiences through spoken word.
—Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Kings guard Russell Westbrook scored 13 points, passing Hakeem Olajuwon for 14th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for passing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing
Adjective
-
Broccoli and Cauliflower Hearty bite-sized florets of broccoli and cauliflower are typically flash-frozen soon after harvest and maintain their crisp-tender texture when cooked from frozen.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
-
To hear top analyst Tom Lee, of Fundstrat, describe the situation, farming never recovered from the invention of flash-frozen foods in the 1920s.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Through Van Der Beek’s wistful performance, viewers were given a window through which to grapple with betrayal, death, heartbreak and a litany of bad decisions.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Little has been released about the shooting from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, which did not publicly acknowledge the killing for more than 12 hours after Anthony Anderson’s death.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Having stabilized his ship in orbit around the black hole, Dr Hans Reinhardt (a bizarre, OTT performance from Maximilian Schell) now plans to fly into it, assisted by an unquestioning crew of automatons with a very dark origin story.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
While promoting her new miniseries Vanished in New York City on February 3, the actor was spotted flashing a peace sign for photographers and carrying a very familiar handbag on the other arm.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Children were often seen handing the monks flowers, who in return gifted blessing strings.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The singer grew up watching his idols win awards on television, and eventually, those idols began handing him the awards.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the heavily Latino area of south Oklahoma City, ICE agents have been patrolling in unmarked vehicles and stopping work trucks of roofers, painters and electricians, Brooks Jimenez said.—
Nuria Martinez-Keel,
Oklahoma Voice,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Lily did exactly the right thing by stopping and asking first.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In a strange twist, the Max app was developed by VKontakte (VK), which Durov co-founded before selling his shares and leaving Russia in 2014, after Durov said the Kremlin had asked the site to hand over Ukrainian users’ data.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Those many Americans who still understand that freedom is the magic elixir that drives growth and prosperity are exiting blue states, leaving them to stew in their left-wing, socialist, low-growth and low-opportunity juices.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Other countries, meanwhile, are enacting new laws to limit social media for children.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The Los Angeles Times has carried out multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years, most recently enacting another 6% reduction to its newsroom in mid-2025.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While the Super Bowl halftime show is happening on NBC and Peacock, Turning Point USA is hosting an alternative halftime show for viewers at home.—
Maria Francis,
Oklahoman,
8 Feb. 2026
-
That difference — that scissor that is happening in the sled — is what gives you steering.—
Jayson Jenks,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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