tick away/by/past

verb

ticked away/by/past; ticking away/by/past; ticks away/by/past
of time
: to pass or go by
Time is ticking away.
She became impatient as the hours ticked by.

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“Tick away/by/past.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tick%20away%2Fby%2Fpast. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

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