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Glite Dictionary
🔄 To return ⚽ A backward pass 📄 A return
to pass-back

to pass-back

1 3.4
Give something back to the person who had it
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈpæsˌbæk/
translation icon : devolver
  • She took a hit, smiled, and we passed it back and forth like that a bunch of times.

Examples

  • Please take a few moments to fill these out, just pass them back so we can learn more about your interests.

  • It made me very nervous to have someone else holding the rocket, and I was hoping D would just pass it right back.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • We passed it back and forth, smiling mildly at each other for a little while longer.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Trevor and a very pregnant Kirsty sit on their bed, passing the cube back and forth.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Max held onto it and stayed out of the way as Petoskey grabbed one loose box after another and passed them back to Reedy.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • After the meeting, please pass back the documents to the front desk.

  • She finished using the marker and decided to pass it back to her friend.

  • Once you are done with the book, remember to pass it back to the library.

Synonyms

to return
vsto pass-back
∞ 1.0

Give something back to its owner or the place it came from

emphasizes handing the item back to the person or place that had it before
to pass
vsto pass-back
755 1.0

To give something to another person

is specifically the action of moving something back to its previous holder
to give back
vsto pass-back
684 1.0

Return something to the person who owns it after you use or borrow it

focuses especially on handing the item back to its prior holder
to put back
vsto pass-back
449 1.0

Return something to the place where it was before

is more about giving the object back to the former person or location
to bring back
vsto pass-back
436 1.7

Return someone or something to the place they came from

covers the same return idea but stresses giving back to the prior holder
to restore
vsto pass-back
313 3.4

Return someone to their family or a thing to its owner

is narrower, centering on handing the item back to its previous holder
to hand over
vsto pass-back
296 2.8

Give something to someone because you have to

is specifically about giving the item back to whoever had it before
to send back
vsto pass-back
123 1.5

To return something to the person or place it came from

is similar but highlights direct handover to the previous holder
to take back
vsto pass-back
99 3.0

Get back something you had given, lent, or lost

is instead about handing the item back to the previous owner rather than regaining it
to reclaim
vsto pass-back
77 4.1

To get back something you lost or gave away

focuses on returning by handing it over to the prior holder rather than recovery effort
to hand off
vsto pass-back
  • US
22 3.7

Give responsibility, control, or an object to another person

focuses instead on handing the object back to its prior owner or place
to convey
vsto pass-back
  • Formal
6 5.5

To officially give property or rights to someone

is a simpler, direct handover back to the person or place that had it before
to restitute
vsto pass-back
  • Specialized
1 8.8

Give back something lost or stolen to its owner

is a plain handover back to the person or place that had it before

How Direct

to pass-back
1 3.4
to send back
123 1.5
to return
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

pass-back infinitive
passed-back past
passed-back past participle
passing-back present participle
pass-backs third person singular

Morphology

pass-back = pass (transparent) = back + pass

The verb is the phrasal verb 'pass back', so its meaning is directly the verb 'pass' with the particle 'back' indicating return. [Postprocessing: moved 'back' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Pass-back comes from the words pass ('to give') and back ('to return'), so it simply means 'give back'. If you borrow a pen and then pass it back to its owner, you are returning it, which is exactly what it means to pass-back something.