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
Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2025
Trump has said very little about the protests, but made a passing remark on Friday before departing for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
—Richard Hall, Time, 18 Oct. 2025
Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
In fact, 12 of his 15 passing touchdowns have come with an extra rusher or more.
—Chase Gemes, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2025
Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The passing offense has gotten worse since Marchiol’s injury, and Wilkins was listed as questionable on the player availability report.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for passing
Adjective
The deep passing game never got going.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2025
Trump has said very little about the protests, but made a passing remark on Friday before departing for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
—Richard Hall, Time, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
In the time since Deegan’s passing, Lori says the support from their community has meant everything.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
In fact, 12 of his 15 passing touchdowns have come with an extra rusher or more.
—Chase Gemes, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
Inventiveness, cruelty, the playful distortion and extension of passing time had just gone too far.
—Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The passing offense has gotten worse since Marchiol’s injury, and Wilkins was listed as questionable on the player availability report.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for passing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing
Adjective
-
And many supermarkets offer bags of flash-frozen cranberries year-round.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
-
What To Know A map shared by the NWS on Facebook showed a broad corridor of flash-flood risk spanning the Western states and Southern Plains.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Christopher Scholtes, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of intentional child abuse likely to cause death or serious physical injury in the July 9, 2024 death of his 2-year-old daughter, according to the Pima County Attorney's Office.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Of course, deportation or removal from the United States isn’t the same as death; Rubio’s unilateral visa revocation isn’t the same as the proscription.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
At the very least, a major influx of new cast members are bound to shake up the series third season, which will pick after the dramatic killing of a beloved character, the arrest of another, and the breakup between two more.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The King very recently joked about his age during a visit to officially open the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Smethwick.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Finally, there’s the fact that the Blazers are handing him the gig, with Clingan playing 30 minutes in the opener against Minnesota.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Off to the hottest start in the NHL, New Jersey scored in each period and shut down the Wild’s suddenly struggling power play, winning 4-1 on Wednesday and handing Minnesota its fourth loss in the past five games.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Sabatini said that former President Ronald Reagan's doctrine included intervening on behalf of and supporting military governments with the intention of stopping the spread of communism.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Sabres goalie Alex Lyon had about as much chance of stopping the shot as an extra-large pepperoni and bacon stood of surviving a Friday night in the Kloke household.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Proponents of Illinois secession are serious about leaving Illinois, but don't necessarily want to join Indiana.—
Hayleigh Colombo,
IndyStar,
24 Oct. 2025
-
One week later, the inmate attacked him in the middle of the night and beat him with a padlock attached to a belt, leaving him with a gash to the head and other injuries, according to the lawsuit.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Working with an enacting bill that has already been signed into law, people could exempt $125,000 from the value of personal property that’s used to make money for their business.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Private equity firms argue that states enacting health care regulations may see less overall investment going to their states.—
Aman Kidwai,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
There’s been a misguided assertion that what’s happening with ICE is only a Latino issue, but ICE’s bombardment of both Black and Brown communities in Chicago demonstrates otherwise.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Have those conversations started about the possibility of those films still happening or not?—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Passing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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