First recorded in 1875–80; noun use of verb phrase march past
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She then took the salute as colonel during a traditional march-past.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2025
He invited Donald Trump for the 2017 celebrations, and the then U.S. president was so impressed by the French march-past that he asked Pentagon officials to explore a similar parade in celebration of American troops.
From Reuters • Jul. 14, 2023
First comes the plot: no longer some local difficulty but a ramshackle tale involving the putative murder of Kate Moss—little more than an excuse, it turns out, for a march-past of middle-ranking celebrities.
From The New Yorker • Jul. 15, 2016
In Glasgow, the prime minister and the Prince of Wales will attend a Commonwealth service, followed by a procession and march-past.
From The Guardian • Aug. 3, 2014
He stands upright, his arms down, his left leg forward, in the attitude of a prince inspecting a march-past of his vassals.
From Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to the Study of Antiquities in Egypt by Maspero, G. (Gaston)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
