PASSES Synonyms: 519 Similar and Opposite Words

passes 1 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of pass

as in hands

to shift possession of (something) from one person to another could you please pass me the phone?

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Relevance

as in stops

to come to an end eventually, the storm passed

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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

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as in enacts

to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action Congress cannot pass any law restricting free speech

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as in happens

to take place and the destruction of the town came to pass, just as the seer had predicted

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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

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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

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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

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as in flies

to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval the finished product isn't perfect, but it will pass

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passes

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural of pass

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

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as in routes

a passage cleared for public vehicular travel take the second pass on the right

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passes

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural of pass

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

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as in tries

an effort to do or accomplish something a final pass at the assignment

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as in accomplishments

the state of being actual or complete eventually, all their career goals came to pass

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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

Verb

The Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor Ayo Edebiri passes both tests. — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 No other quarterback this season has more than four TD passes without a turnover with backups Drew Lock and Marcus Mariota pulling that off. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 If the referendum passes, the litigation is sure to continue. — Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026 Even if Congress passes a federal film incentive, state lawmakers argue that California must do more to compete for film jobs. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 If the measure passes, expect a highly spirited game of hide-the-loot. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 Locally, rate pressure remains high for the rare instances in which cargo passes through the Strait of Hormuz. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026 The process by which something passes from fiction into legend is mysterious, magical even. — Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026 In a way, every response contains information about what the teacher learned during training, so that knowledge passes to the student without going through the process of collecting data, finding patterns in those data and getting human feedback. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026

Noun

The next day, journalists found their passes had been deactivated. — Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026 Duck signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent out of Louisville in April 2024 and played 358 defensive snaps as a rookie, finishing with 35 tackles and four passes defended in 14 appearances and three starts. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026 Google uses this option for creating other types of passes from a photo. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 And while quarterback Colton Joseph is not a pocket passer, the former Old Dominion signal-caller threw for only 66 yards and completed just six passes. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua, who caught 17 passes last week, somehow received only three targets against Arizona before the Rams' desperate final drive. — ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026 Then Mahomes hit five straight passes before playing yet another role on Kenneth Walker III’s 2-yard touchdown run. — Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2026 Reno, twice the Ivy Player of the Week already this season, misfired on more passes than not this time, completing 15 of 38 for 105 yards, two second-half touchdowns, and one interception. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for passes

Verb

So the company hires a strong operator, hands them a title and waits to see what happens.

— Ken Paskins, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
If a retreat hands you a personalized microbiome report, treat it as an interesting snapshot, not a diagnosis and not a prescription.

— Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of hands

Verb

Last week, when Ocasio-Cortez made three campaign stops for Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, neither Democrat — and no audience members — brought up the topic of Gaza.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
In January 2025, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch changed the department pursuit policy, barring cops from chasing after vehicles fleeing car stops unless a felony crime or a violent misdemeanor was committed.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of stops

Verb

But the federal plan leaves the door open to steeper reductions that Arizona officials warned could be catastrophic and sued over last week.

— Hannah Knowles The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Before any cymbal leaves the factory, a shokunin strikes it and listens, comparing its sound against a pristine reference by ear.

— Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of leaves

Verb

The legislation enacts new work requirements and greater vetting for Medicaid, the low-income program that thousands of Alaskans depend on for healthcare.

— Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
The rest of the network enacts the decision, as other genes are activated or suppressed farther downstream, but isn’t active in it.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of enacts

Verb

Researchers can model what happens if copper prices increase sharply or if a newer technology becomes commercially viable years from now.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
When that happens, per state law, the commissioner must either close the campus or take over the district.

— Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of happens

Verb

Desperate to get that handsome life back, Hagen undergoes an experimental procedure that initially works only to give way to a scary new reality with shape-shifting skin.

— Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is eliminating its Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission, as the organization undergoes cultural changes under its new president Kirsty Coventry.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of undergoes

Verb

Rao wrote and co-produced the comedy, and nobody in it utters a line.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026
Over the course of Decay, Godflesh‘s 10th and supposedly penultimate album, frontman Justin Broadrick utters less than 150 words total in just 42 minutes.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2026