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
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
12 June 2026
Chance of severe thunderstorms returning A passing cold front will bring the area its next chance of strong to severe storms Wednesday evening and night, the weather service said.
—
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 June 2026
One-touch passing, feinting and ripping hard shots into a tattered net, each is super-charged by vivid daydreams of glory on the international stage.
—
Jason Motlagh,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2026
Duarte Dias,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Enzo Fernandez — Argentina/Chelsea Fernandez scored 15 goals from midfield for Chelsea last season, but his elite passing will be more valuable to an Argentina side which continues to orbit around Messi.
—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for passing
Adjective
O’Connell and the staff think an intentional focus, paired with a more stable passing game, could unlock the offense and take it to a new level.
—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
12 June 2026
Chance of severe thunderstorms returning A passing cold front will bring the area its next chance of strong to severe storms Wednesday evening and night, the weather service said.
—
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
Noun
Sam Won was owned by the Chung family since 2005 and survived Covid and the passing of Sylvia’s husband Own in 2022.
—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 June 2026
One-touch passing, feinting and ripping hard shots into a tattered net, each is super-charged by vivid daydreams of glory on the international stage.
—
Jason Motlagh,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2026
Verb
But ships have been passing through the smaller northern route, which goes through Iranian waters, and the southern route, which goes through Omani waters.
—
Duarte Dias,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Enzo Fernandez — Argentina/Chelsea Fernandez scored 15 goals from midfield for Chelsea last season, but his elite passing will be more valuable to an Argentina side which continues to orbit around Messi.
—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for passing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing
Adjective
-
In fact, the weather service said that more than 50% of flash-flood deaths happen in vehicles driven into floodwaters.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
Don’t miss Alcopop’s Black Mango Watermelon, Seongju Chamoe and Watermelon Ice Pop; Matcha Latte, with flash-frozen local herbs and a hand-cut ice diamond; and Journey, a concoction that maps a tomato’s global odyssey.—
Melinda Sheckells,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Juan Andres Gonzalez, 18, is facing a first-degree murder charge in the stabbing death.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
25 June 2026
-
The last goal came at the death, toward the end of stoppage time.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
25 June 2026
Adverb
-
Following their arrival, word spread among law enforcement at Kansas City Stadium (aka Arrowhead) that the King and Queen were en route — and the path to the VVIP (yes, very very) entrance was cleared by FBI officials, who kept fans away from the area.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
21 June 2026
-
This could look like a very specific cut of a sleeve of a shirt that nods to that time.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Michael Lind, the writer and New America co-founder, argues in Commonplace, the magazine of Oren Cass’s American Compass, that a decent wage and a safety net should be enough, and that handing workers a stake in capital insults the dignity of their labor.—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
-
Indeed, Gibson has found that there is nothing more rewarding than handing a patient a pair of dentures that will bring back their confidence and sense of self.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
Verb
-
And the heat’s not stopping anytime soon.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
-
Video shows how chase led to deadly crash Instead of stopping, the purple car accelerated and sped through a red light, according to video from Joel’s dashboard camera.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 June 2026
Verb
-
The case was initiated in August by an asylum-seeker from Guatemala who was arrested after leaving a routine immigration hearing in San Francisco and then held without access to adequate hygiene, sanitation, medical care and legal advice, according to the complaint.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2026
-
The 'new normal' The threats facing high-profile events in 2026 differ from those held in recent decades as technology has quickly evolved, experts said, leaving law enforcement agencies working to catch up.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
Verb
-
Essentially, the second apron is acting as a hard cap, which is undeniably what the NBA envisioned when enacting these rules.—
Sam Vecenie,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
-
Behind each charge was a person enacting the king’s design.—
Robert Parkinson,
The Conversation,
24 June 2026
Verb
-
If circumstances had gone Spain’s way with more clinical finishing or a Cape Verde defender making a mistake, then the result would have been different and a lot of the chatter currently happening (including here) would likely not be happening.—
Patrick Sung Cuadrado,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
-
The cultural conversation happening here is nuanced and urgent and almost entirely invisible to the average visitor.—
Baz Dreisinger,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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