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
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
Any passing acknowledgement from the NHL’s most iconic best friends would do.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Chychrun opened the scoring with a rebound off a shot from Alex Ovechkin in front, and 20 seconds later, Strome finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play to extend the lead.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Briana Alvarado, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
All this clutter was welcome evidence of time passing, of her avid scholarship, and of a noble disinterest in washing dishes.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for passing
Adjective
Free agent signing Isaiah Likely will help Dart in the passing game.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
Any passing acknowledgement from the NHL’s most iconic best friends would do.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
Following the passing of Michelle Carew, who died from a rare form of leukemia in 1996 at the age of 18, it was renamed in her memory.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Chychrun opened the scoring with a rebound off a shot from Alex Ovechkin in front, and 20 seconds later, Strome finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play to extend the lead.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
After passing behind the moon, NASA estimates that the crew’s return trip will take about four days.
—Briana Alvarado, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
All this clutter was welcome evidence of time passing, of her avid scholarship, and of a noble disinterest in washing dishes.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for passing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing
Adjective
-
The heaviest rain has shifted eastward, with the island of Molokai under a flash-flood warning on Sunday.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Kansas City will go from springlike warmth to winter fast as a powerful storm sweeps through Sunday, bringing damaging winds, a rapid temperature plunge with flash-freeze risk, and a quick burst of snow that could cut visibility, according to the National Weather Service.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In their affidavit filed in court, officers paint Watson’s death as a drug deal gone wrong.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Her death is being investigated as a homicide.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
There are double lotteries and protections that would put a safety net beneath the very worst teams.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
For activities lasting longer than 1-2 hours, or in very hot environments, sports drinks can help replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes, but be mindful of sugar content.—
Dr. Sarah Kinsella,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Democrats are aligning themselves with that mindset, handing Republicans the mantle of the AI-image party … and waiting for the backlash.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Using license plate data, police later located Bowen at an apartment complex in Plantation, where he was seen handing a bag resembling a firearm case to another man.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Peanut cannot smell, but caregivers say that limitation does not appear to be stopping him from adjusting to his new surroundings.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
There are 81 rooms in total, ranging from classic doubles to one-bedroom apartments, while the show-stopping penthouse suite has a dining table for eight, a dressing room and an enormous 130-square-metre rooftop terrace with a private sauna and cold plunge pool overlooking Fitzrovia.—
Siobhan Grogan,
TheWeek,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then about an hour prior to tipoff, he was deemed out, leaving the backup point guard duties mostly to rookie Sion James.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Already, the department is overburdened, leaving the responsibility for handling many attacks by wolves and other predators to local law enforcement, said David Bess, a retired chief of CDFW’s enforcement division.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kentner said this was the third citizen initiative put on the ballot in Lakewood in the past decade, a sign the city needs to do a better job talking to its 156,000 residents before enacting big changes to land-use policy.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Morelle said the purpose of the hearings — another is scheduled for later this week in San Francisco — is to hear from election and voting rights experts and to build a roadmap for enacting election reforms after the midterms if Democrats regain control of the House.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
More open conversations about menopause and the period leading up to it — called perimenopause — are happening at the same time that marketing has been supercharged by social media.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Not enough actual deportations were happening.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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