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
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Feb. 2026
Those are often highlighting the passing game.
—Sam McDowell February 25, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026
Siebert's passing will be impossible to fill.
—Riley Moser, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Under state law, no one can get more than $200,000 from a judgment or settlement against the government in cases of negligence without the Legislature passing a bill to pay out the rest.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for passing
Adjective
Denver is set to hire Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston as its defensive passing-game coordinator, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told The Denver Post on Wednesday.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Feb. 2026
Those are often highlighting the passing game.
—Sam McDowell February 25, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
UConn’s productive passing combo, quarterback Joe Fagnano and receiver Skyler Bell, have been going through their paces for NFL scouts, coaches and executives this week in Indianapolis.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026
Siebert's passing will be impossible to fill.
—Riley Moser, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
Gas prices up 26 cents Oil prices have jumped as crude shipments passing through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz stall, creating shortfalls in global supply.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Under state law, no one can get more than $200,000 from a judgment or settlement against the government in cases of negligence without the Legislature passing a bill to pay out the rest.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for passing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing
Adjective
-
Tom Lee of Fundstrat has been frequently citing the invention of flash-frozen food in the early 1900s as fundamentally disrupting the farming sector, which took farming as a share of jobs from 30% to 40% down to just 2% to 5%, but the economy reallocated value elsewhere.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Broccoli and Cauliflower Hearty bite-sized florets of broccoli and cauliflower are typically flash-frozen soon after harvest and maintain their crisp-tender texture when cooked from frozen.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office later ruled her death a suicide.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The case marks the first time Google has been sued over a death linked to its flagship artificial intelligence tool.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Tel Aviv, Israel — Undermining this moment of relief for many repressed Iranians is that killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a perilously simple fix to a very complex problem.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The Innova 5610 is very capable and has decent price.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That ruling could deal a blow to Fuller and Pinilla’s side, either by eliminating important witnesses if the case were to go to trial or by handing the city additional leverage in settlement discussions.—
Tess Riski
March 3,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
-
In past years, the council raised parking fees and slashed vacant positions instead of handing employees a pink slip.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After Elmarko Jackson’s flagrant foul stopping a dunk in transition — the play was called a common foul but quickly upgraded to a flagrant-one — the Jayhawks and Sun Devils came together.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The car seemed to struggle to merge left into a turn lane, stopping about 30 feet short of the intersection and blocking a lane of traffic.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Higher energy prices would ultimately filter through to consumer and producer prices, particularly for economies that rely heavily on Middle East oil imports, leaving central banks scrambling to reassess their interest rate trajectory.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Audits have found the agency lacked proper oversight over its funds and programs, leaving them susceptible to waste and fraud.—
Andrew Khouri,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The state passed an emergency rule late Tuesday enacting the cuts, though court challenges are still pending.—
Jonathan Appelbaum,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2026
-
DeSantis prohibited districts from enacting a mandate in schools and allowed parents to choose whether to send their children in masks.—
Times staff,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Liquidity is happening, and will only increase.—
Maurizio Caio,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
There is a lot of change happening on the home front, encouraging you to remodel parts of your dwelling.—
Lisa Stardust,
Vogue,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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