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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of passes
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
The morning drive host on 680 The Fan caught passes from Ryan for three years.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 7 Jan. 2026
The litigation centers on Dish’s Sling TV selling access to 34 popular channels—including ESPN, ESPN2, the Disney Channel, AMC, TNT and TBS—in one-day, three-day and seven-day passes with no further commitment.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 Jan. 2026
If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible, preferably past the end of a guard rail, and wait until the storm passes.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
Congress passes laws setting punishments for drug offenses.
—Kevin Krause, Dallas Morning News, 6 Jan. 2026
Three coaches, two GMs; caught passes from nine quarterbacks.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
The lockers help lower cost per order by 30%, and Sea passes the savings on to consumers Li said.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
Along the way, the train passes through dense forests and narrow river canyons.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 11 Nov. 2025
Austin Mock, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Young was remarkably efficient, throwing three TD passes of 30-plus yards and going 15-for-20 for 206 yards.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 7 Jan. 2026
Loop's miss bailed out a poor performance by the Pittsburgh secondary, which allowed a pair of long touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and then a 26-yard heave in the final seconds that put the Ravens in position to win.
—CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
At Oklahoma, Livingstone will be catching passes from John Mateer, who completed 62% of his passes for 2,885 yards in 2025, accumulating 14 touchdown passes to go with 11 interceptions.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 6 Jan. 2026
Subramanian stressed there is no reference to a minimum subscription length, an omission that signals Dish can sell passes.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 Jan. 2026
According to OptaSTATS, Stafford became the first quarterback in NFL history to record 20 or more touchdown passes and zero interceptions over a six-game span within a single season.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Instead, senior quarterback Daniel Vaita responded after throwing a pick-six on his first drive of the second half with two touchdown passes to Roye Oliver III, and added a two-point conversion run.
—Richard Obert, AZCentral.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Some answers were offered at the SDSU practice field during Saturday evening’s scrimmage, which was highlighted by 60- and 70-yard passes from junior transfer quarterback Jayden Denegal to senior transfer wide receiver Myles Kitt-Denton.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
The play had Gwath inbounding on the far sideline to BJ Davis, who passes to Miles Byrd at the top of the key.
—Noun
The return of wide receiver DK Metcalf is massive for this offense, but from Week 11 on, Aaron Rodgers led the league in targeting running backs, throwing to them on almost 26 percent of his passes.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for passes
Verb
-
Instead, someone hands me a wooden pole with a piece of foam taped around one end and mimes poking the machine in its chest.—
-
In the video, the person hands a high-velocity Ball Bearing (BB) gun to his robot, Max, and asks it to shoot him.—
Verb
-
The team that stops the run and mitigates mistakes will win this one.—
-
The group stops to talk to one who took a fall while riding his bike in his neighborhood.—
Verb
-
Back in 1962, Lilly leaves Juniper Hill with a higher dose of medication, which seems like the best-case scenario given the threat of lobotomy in the show’s opening titles.—
-
The key is to fold the scarf over itself to create volume and to look for a lace trim that leaves the hem frayed, so as not to look too formal.—
Verb
-
In a time where AI country singers are making the charts and vocal deepfakes run rampant, the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act enacts protections for artists against unauthorized uses of their voice and likeness in deepfakes and digital replicas.—
-
Whatever violence the major enacts against these POWs will stain his soul, but refusing to follow his own orders will doom him.—
Verb
-
This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way.—
-
This communication happens within 10 minutes of the pill being swallowed.—
Verb
-
In milder locations where the ground doesn’t freeze or undergoes freeze-thaw cycles, water deeply about once a month to keep the soil moist, but not wet.—
-
Each device undergoes extensive testing and must be approved by a senior member of our beauty team prior to appearing in Allure.—
Verb
-
Falduto utters the words as his character Billy to Dewey, playing the opinionated student who becomes the stylist for the band.—
-
The first words Mariah Carey utters on her 16th studio album are quintessential diva.—
Verb
-
Swart said the unrest after the shooting underscores why his firm refuses to participate in confrontational activity.—
-
The problem is that the show refuses to update its Rolodex.—
Cite this Entry
“Passes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passes. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share