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
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Instead, if this bill passes, families would have to drive to a breeder, probably many hours away, or even travel out of state.
—Ed Sayres, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Nearly 15% of global maritime trade passes the Bab al-Mandab.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
The experiment involves a metal plate with two slits, through which light passes from a coherent source such as a laser.
—David Szondy
march 28, New Atlas, 28 Mar. 2026
About 12% of the world’s trade typically passes through Suez, including oil, natural gas, grain and everything from toys to electronics.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
About a fifth of the world's oil typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway off Iran's coast, but most ships have been blocked from transiting it during the war.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
About 12% of the world's trade typically passes through Bab el-Mandeb and about 10% of global maritime trade - including 40% of container ship traffic - passes through the Suez Canal each year.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
About 12% of the world’s trade typically passes through Bab el-Mandeb and about 10% of global maritime trade — including 40% of container ship traffic — passes through the Suez Canal each year.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
For those who drive, parking passes must be purchased in advance (see below).
—Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
All operations are expected to continue uninterrupted, and existing reservations and commitments — including annual passes, hotel and campground reservations, conferences and group events, and Yellow Daisy Festival vendor registrations — will remain unchanged.
—Emily McLeod, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Chawinga is known for her help-defense — denying passes to players in those spaces, or even closing down the player sending in such crosses.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
Schools can also restrict when passes are allowed, depending on the schedule or specific rules set by staff.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
This move is part of a broader action by Iran to assert its control over the vital waterway, through which about a fifth of the world's oil and gas passes.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026
Many European leaders have felt political pressure over the war, which faces opposition in their countries and has sent petroleum prices soaring as Iran has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
And the free passes have been costly.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
Allen’s hummingbirds are year-round residents in Southern California but the rufous is a rarer visitor that passes through during spring and fall migrations while traveling between winter homes in Mexico to as far north as Alaska in the summer.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Instead, if this bill passes, families would have to drive to a breeder, probably many hours away, or even travel out of state.
—Ed Sayres, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Nearly 15% of global maritime trade passes the Bab al-Mandab.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
The experiment involves a metal plate with two slits, through which light passes from a coherent source such as a laser.
—David Szondy
march 28, New Atlas, 28 Mar. 2026
About 12% of the world’s trade typically passes through Suez, including oil, natural gas, grain and everything from toys to electronics.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
About a fifth of the world's oil typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway off Iran's coast, but most ships have been blocked from transiting it during the war.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
About 12% of the world's trade typically passes through Bab el-Mandeb and about 10% of global maritime trade - including 40% of container ship traffic - passes through the Suez Canal each year.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
About 12% of the world’s trade typically passes through Bab el-Mandeb and about 10% of global maritime trade — including 40% of container ship traffic — passes through the Suez Canal each year.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
After a series of intricate passes, Reus found room and sent a shot toward goal, but Minnesota goalkeeper Drake Callender kept the initial shot out.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
For those who drive, parking passes must be purchased in advance (see below).
—Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
All operations are expected to continue uninterrupted, and existing reservations and commitments — including annual passes, hotel and campground reservations, conferences and group events, and Yellow Daisy Festival vendor registrations — will remain unchanged.
—Emily McLeod, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Chawinga is known for her help-defense — denying passes to players in those spaces, or even closing down the player sending in such crosses.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
Schools can also restrict when passes are allowed, depending on the schedule or specific rules set by staff.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
This move is part of a broader action by Iran to assert its control over the vital waterway, through which about a fifth of the world's oil and gas passes.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026
Many European leaders have felt political pressure over the war, which faces opposition in their countries and has sent petroleum prices soaring as Iran has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
And the free passes have been costly.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passes
Verb
-
The manager who hands her team an exit map and watches most of them stay anyway has done something the board retreat, the culture consultant, and the engagement platform cannot.—
Charles Edward Gehrke,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Turan hands me off to his roommate, Rory Carmichael, a genial 39-year-old engineer.—
Joe Hagan,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Much of physicists’ intuition stops being helpful in an expanding universe.—
Shalma Wegsman,
Quanta Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The run hits major arenas including Chase Center in San Francisco, United Center in Chicago, TD Garden in Boston and stops across Canada, before closing out at the band’s home turf.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Her early death, after an illness that the father initially contrives to ignore then notices just in time to capture her desperation in a fine sketch, leaves Mimí utterly disoriented, yearning only to achieve a level of self-control and detachment that will spare him their tumultuous struggle.—
Tim Parks,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Her departure to the transfer portal leaves a significant gap in Missouri’s scoring and playmaking.—
Aaron Segal,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Waymo doesn’t plan to launch its service in Minnesota until the state enacts new laws to set up basic regulations.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
9 Mar. 2026
-
However, the laws can’t go into effect until the federal government enacts similar legislation, and the 2023 version of the bill fizzled out in a congressional committee.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But, for now, some leaders remain worried about what happens next.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
What happens if the launch is delayed?—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Yuri undergoes a pretty big character arc this season and is forced to grow in a lot of ways.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
-
This means the hair boasts 80% cuticle alignment, maintains its sumptuous, silky texture after 20+ washes, and undergoes only minimal, delicate acid-washing for sanitation without compromising its integrity.—
Noel Cymone Walker,
StyleCaster,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The phrase also sometimes is used as a battle cry and has been employed by those with a nefarious agenda to instill fear of anyone who utters it and to raise concerns about Islam itself, according to Muslim scholars and civil rights advocates.—
Michelle Krupa,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Falduto utters the words as his character Billy to Dewey, playing the opinionated student who becomes the stylist for the band.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Insurance bad faith claims can stem from different factors, including when an insurance company refuses to settle a claim within policy limits and therefore risks exposing its client to a larger liability at trial.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Like the impish anti-romance that crumbles around it, the movie’s twist is both transgressive enough to be pleased with itself and also rooted in a reality that refuses to be dismissed as a bad joke.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passes. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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