passing 1 of 4

passing

2 of 4

noun

passing

3 of 4

adverb

passing

4 of 4

verb

present participle of pass
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2
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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
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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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of passing
Adjective
Through the air, the Cowboys have given up the most passing yards and touchdowns of any team in the league. Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2025 He has also been tasked with elevating a passing game that has frequently been without its top two receivers, Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025
Noun
Flacco had arguably his best game in years, going 31 of 47 with 342 passing yards and three touchdowns. Tyler Geis, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025 Diane Keaton's official death certificate is shedding new light on the actress's passing. Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Restaurants reopen after passing a callback inspection, a re-inspection that usually occurs the next day. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025 After passing, the trio got the rights back and looked to the Sundance Network. Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 11 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
  • Alison Catlow, a coroner’s officer for Greater Manchester police, told the inquest Hatton had last been seen by his family two days before his death.
    Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • In 2024, 221 deer crashes involved a motorcycle, resulting in seven deaths and 87 serious injuries.
    Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 15 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
  • Interspliced are shots of him hauling up oyster cages, sliding a knife into an oyster to shuck it, handing a fresh oyster to a little girl.
    Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Companies are essentially handing leaders technical training and telling them to figure it out.
    Heather Conklin, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The metro Detroit rallies have advocated for causes including stopping immigration crackdowns, stopping authoritarianism, health care, maintaining a positive relationship with Canada amid tariffs, declaring Detroit a sanctuary city, stopping deaths in Gaza and more.
    Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Nihi has 25 of Sumba’s beloved sandalwood horses, released from their stable once a day to run free through the shallows, stopping to roll around in the sand and nip at each other.
    Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Eleven of 19 batters struck out against Glasnow and hard-throwing Milwaukee rookie Jacob Misiorowski in the third, fourth and fifth innings with just one baserunner (on a walk), leaving the game locked in a 1-1 tie until the Dodgers put something together in the sixth.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
  • And then the project fell apart, leaving Shackleton with fragments of the unfinished film and time to ruminate on shortcuts and signifiers of the ubiquitous genre.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • State law bars cities, counties and other local governments from enacting their own gun, stricter regulations.
    Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 14 Oct. 2025
  • In a dressing room, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end concentrates while practicing carrying his then-girlfriend during the Tortured Poets Department section of the three-hour show, with the scene cutting to the couple re-enacting it in full costume on stage.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 13 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

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Cite this Entry

“Passing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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