1
as in hands
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another
could you please pass me the phone?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in stops
to come to an end
eventually, the storm passed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in leaves
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 enacts
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 happens
to take place
and the destruction of the town came to pass, just as the seer had predicted
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in undergoes
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 utters
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 refuses
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 flies
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval
the finished product isn't perfect, but it will pass
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in canyons
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 routes
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel
take the second pass on the right
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in tickets
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
3
as in accomplishments
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.
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Recent Examples of passes
Liam Twomey, New York Times, 17 May 2026
Southeast Asia doesn’t have the luxury to bet its economic future on a 6,000-mile supply chain that passes through a single, 21-mile-wide chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
There are also memberships and season passes available.
—Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 15 May 2026
The central Sahel is defined by the continent-spanning arid belt that passes through Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
An egg that passes visual and smell inspection up to three weeks past the expiration date is almost certainly still good, regardless of what the carton says.
—Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
But Boston evened the score in the middle period when Liz Schepers sent a shot past Philips following passes from Shay Maloney and Elly Huber.
—Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
Closing weekend lift tickets are available for $39, and season and Ikon passes still apply.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 9 May 2026
And now, at last, sperm passes from one slug to the other.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026
The mother said the family planned to get guest passes at the gate and share a final lunch with her son before his flight.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
So how did this happen, and why has McQuarrie, who arrived at UCLA in 2020, only thrown 21 passes in the past six years?
—Langston Wertz Jr, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2026
Insider tip The biggest insider benefit to staying at The Sagaponack is the beach passes.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026
Naegohyang played aggressively out of the gate, pressing Suwon’s defense early with long passes and runs on the flanks, but struggled to finish and had an offside goal disallowed in the fourth minute.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
To register for passes, visit Fan Fest — FIFA World CUP 2026 Kansas City.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026
Three-day festival passes will be available for $199 for general admission and $349 for VIP.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 19 May 2026
Eventually, lifetime passes were available for $120 for years until March 2025, when the price skyrocketed to $250.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2026
Verb
Granit Xhaka was the midfielder primarily tasked with threading progressive passes through opposing lines, while Florian Wirtz would often receive these with space to turn and run towards goal.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 17 May 2026
Southeast Asia doesn’t have the luxury to bet its economic future on a 6,000-mile supply chain that passes through a single, 21-mile-wide chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
There are also memberships and season passes available.
—Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 15 May 2026
The central Sahel is defined by the continent-spanning arid belt that passes through Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
An egg that passes visual and smell inspection up to three weeks past the expiration date is almost certainly still good, regardless of what the carton says.
—Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
But Boston evened the score in the middle period when Liz Schepers sent a shot past Philips following passes from Shay Maloney and Elly Huber.
—Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
Closing weekend lift tickets are available for $39, and season and Ikon passes still apply.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 9 May 2026
And now, at last, sperm passes from one slug to the other.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
Noun
Willis seemingly has plenty to spare based on how his passes were cutting through a windy practice day last Tuesday.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026
The mother said the family planned to get guest passes at the gate and share a final lunch with her son before his flight.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
So how did this happen, and why has McQuarrie, who arrived at UCLA in 2020, only thrown 21 passes in the past six years?
—Langston Wertz Jr, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2026
Insider tip The biggest insider benefit to staying at The Sagaponack is the beach passes.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026
Naegohyang played aggressively out of the gate, pressing Suwon’s defense early with long passes and runs on the flanks, but struggled to finish and had an offside goal disallowed in the fourth minute.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
To register for passes, visit Fan Fest — FIFA World CUP 2026 Kansas City.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026
Three-day festival passes will be available for $199 for general admission and $349 for VIP.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 19 May 2026
Eventually, lifetime passes were available for $120 for years until March 2025, when the price skyrocketed to $250.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passes
Verb
-
Santos then walks to the drive-thru window and hands the bag to the customer.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
-
Someone hands me an invitation to another party for later Saturday night that’s billed to go on until 5am.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
This court order temporarily stops most collection activities, including lawsuits, wage garnishments, bank levies and collection calls.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
-
The team stops functioning as a unit and starts behaving as a collection of individuals.—
Rick Burton,
Sportico.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
This isn’t a ‘disgruntled artist leaves record label’ type situation.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
22 May 2026
-
Stephen Colbert leaves late night as the king of the ratings, which made his cancellation even more confusing to industry observers.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Even if Florida enacts a GOP-friendlier map in a special legislative session set for April 28, the worst possible outcome from the redistricting fight now looks like a national dead heat.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Attorney General enacts California’s laws and can bring litigation against companies or the federal government on behalf of state residents.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The drama happens, and then life goes on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
Little happens other than chain-smoking, costume changes and interminable shots of color-shifting strobe lighting splaying across the cast’s cheekbones.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
In the end, as Watson undergoes surgery to treat his tumor, his fate remains unknown.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
-
The team also spoke to experimenting with the show’s tone, with Ahmed saying that because the protagonist undergoes an identity crisis, the show should also.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Halfway through, Mando is captured by Clone Wars’ bounty hunter Embo, who was voiced by Filoni on the show but never utters so much as a single line of dialogue here.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
22 May 2026
-
Yet Cornelius Krull, the patriarch, speaks only a German dialect and never utters more than two words.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Each person gets a single scene but feels utterly real, with Will Dagger a standout as the cousin, leaking needy bravado, and Constance Shulman very funny as the funeral director, determined to stage a party for a host who refuses to throw one.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
-
The journalist turns his attention to Oda Sotatsu, a man who has admitted to a string of disappearances but refuses to speak another word after surrendering to police.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passes. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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