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to pass

to pass

44 3.4
To be better than a set standard
  • verb
  • /pæs/
: superar
  • To earn this certificate, Hope had to pass a multistep test of basic good manners for dogs.
  • pass muster

Some people pass that mark of being a killer.

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Examples

  • After completing the rigorous training, she passed the tough evaluation with flying colors.

  • Within a few weeks, John was passing all his courses but American history.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Well, it certainly passes the eye test.

  • Students scoring at or above the basic level are considered to have passed the test.

    Academic text (2013)
  • I thought you tried to pass the detective exam.

  • Each generation can add, improve, and pass on, thus imparting a progressive character to our technological artifacts.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The new performance standards passed all previous benchmarks set by the organization.

  • This latest model of the car passes every safety test with ease, proving to be highly reliable.

Synonyms

to exceed
vsto pass
269 4.1

To be greater than a set amount or beyond what people expect

is the general notion of being above a set standard
to top
vsto pass
168 2.4

To be better than others in a contest or ranking

covers being above a standard, not necessarily first place
to surpass
vsto pass
99 4.6

To be better than another person or thing

is a wider, more general way to say that idea
to transcend
vsto pass
  • Formal
94 6.8

To go beyond a limit or expectation

is a plain comparison with standards rather than lofty surpassing
68 3.0

Show a higher level of skill or quality than before

is about exceeding standards in general, not just one example
to better
vsto pass
45 1.8

To improve something

means being above a standard rather than improving an item
to outperform
vsto pass
29 4.8

Do better than someone or something

focuses on beating a standard rather than rivals
to go past
vsto pass
14 3.5

Be better than a limit or what people expected

is the broader term for being above a standard

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Not succeed in doing something you wanted to do

91 3.9

Fail to reach the level people expect

Idioms

To do very well in a test or task, often easily

Give responsibility for your job to the person who will replace you

6 3.5

To give responsibility or control to another person during a planned change

3 7.8

Seem honest and believable when people check it

do not pass go
  • Informal
3 9.1

To refuse someone any further chance and make them leave immediately

To ask or hope, often in prayer, not to have a hard time

Phrasal Verbs

317 3.7

To faint or lose consciousness suddenly

264 2.7

To give something to another person, often information or a message

242 2.7

To travel through a place without stopping for long

120 3.6

Decide not to accept something, for example an offer or food

104 1.2

Go past someone or something without stopping

97 3.0

Go past without being noticed or taken

93 2.5

Give news, a message, or something you received to another person

93 4.1

To choose not to accept a good offer or chance

78 2.7

To give things to people in a group, like papers or drinks

To make a liquid or gas go through a filter

55 2.8

Give traditions, stories, or things to younger family members

Hand something to each person in a group

Form an opinion about someone or something, often a critical one

37 6.9

To make something or someone look real when they are not

31 3.3

To move across a place, often above the ground

30 4.1

To ignore someone or something on purpose

22 3.5

To slowly disappear or stop existing

20 3.8

To die peacefully in a gentle, respectful way

To be seen as good enough after a check

to pass go
  • Informal
12 6.7

To start the next step of a plan without delay

Make information spread among many people

11 5.2

To move across an enemy line to reach the other side

9 3.4

Give something back to the person who had it

7 5.9

To let gas out from your bottom

5 4.1

To treat criticism or an insult as not important

to pass the hat
  • Informal
4 5.5

To ask people to give money for a person or cause

2 3.7

To move something gently over a surface

to pass up
  • Informal
2 4.7

To ignore someone you meet by pretending not to see them

1 6.5

To let gas from inside your body out through your bottom

1 3.4

Give something to a teacher or official for them to check

to pass down
  • Specialized
1 4.8

Send a value or setting from a main part of a program to its smaller parts

1 7.1

To release gas or a bad smell quietly

1 7.6

To let urine come out of your body

1 3.9

To become less strong over time

Compounds

free pass
  • Informal
37 4.2

An excuse that lets someone avoid rules or blame because of their position

22 2.4

A paper or digital ticket that lets a passenger get on a plane

17 2.3

A written note from a teacher that allows a student to leave class and go into the hallway

14 3.4

A ticket that lets someone enter a place without paying

A low route through mountains that people or vehicles use

Hail Mary pass
  • Informal
5 8.4

A risky final attempt to succeed when little time remains

screen pass
  • Jargon
4 6.1

A short forward pass where teammates block to protect the receiver

pass receiver
  • Jargon
4 3.9

A football player who catches passes from the quarterback

2 3.8

A throw toward the opponent's end to move the ball downfield

2 2.8

A successful forward pass caught by a teammate

2 7.1

A narrow mountain route between Pakistan and Afghanistan used for trade and army movements

pass catcher
  • Jargon
1 5.4

A player who receives forward passes, like a wide receiver or tight end

1 8.0

A high mountain pass near Lake Tahoe where trapped pioneers ate human flesh to survive

pass-through
  • Specialized
1 5.1

A setting that lets signals or data pass through unchanged to another device

low-pass filter
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A device that lets slow changes in signals pass and reduces fast changes

1 3.9

An opening between a kitchen and dining room for passing food

hall pass
  • NSFW
1 8.3

Permission from a partner to be romantic or sexual with someone outside the relationship

1 7.4

A mountain road through the Alps that links Innsbruck in Austria with Bolzano in Italy

kitchen pass
  • Jargon
1 7.9

Permission to stop cooking for a short time, often said as a joke

high-pass filter
  • Specialized
1 4.4

An electronic part that lets high sounds pass and reduces low sounds

pussy pass
  • Slur
1 9.9

Special, unfair treatment given to a woman by others because of her gender

lateral pass
  • Jargon
1 5.8

A pass that goes sideways or backward instead of forward in American football

flare pass
  • Jargon
1 7.0

A short forward pass to a player running toward the sideline in American football

pass-back
  • Specialized
1 3.2

A ball moved backward to a teammate to keep possession

forward pass
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A run of input data through a model to produce predictions

spot pass
  • Jargon
1 5.7

A throw that aims the ball at a planned place for the receiver to catch

1 8.6

A risky pass that puts someone in danger or trouble

4.2

Sending a file back to the person who handled it before for review

How Much Above

to surpass
99 4.6
to exceed
269 4.1
to pass
44 3.4
to meet
814 1.3
to fall short
91 3.9

Surface Forms

pass infinitive
passed past
passed past participle
passing present participle
passes third person singular

Etymology

Pass comes from the Old French passer and the Latin passus, meaning 'to step beyond' or 'go past'. To pass a standard is to go beyond it, so you are better than the level or limit.