make a pass at

Idioms  

1. Flirt or make advances to someone, especially of a sexual nature, as in “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses” (Dorothy Parker, Not So Deep As A Well , 1936). [1920s]

2. Also, take a pass at . Make an attempt, as in I've made a pass at opening it but had no luck , or Jake, will you take a pass at changing the oil? This usage employs pass in the sense of a “jab” or “poke.” [ Colloquial ; 1900s] Also see make a stab at .

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Example Sentences

Make a pass at this week’s Slate News Quiz.

From Slate

The internet did what the internet does after San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo appeared to make a pass at veteran sideline reporter Erin Andrews following Thursday night’s game.

From Fox News

Several colleagues who worked with him for years said that they were genuinely surprised by the accusations — saying that they had seen him as a someone who might flirt or make a pass at women, but not harass them.

From New York Times

So perhaps I'm not the best person to be giving advice on the dos and don'ts of the hook-up hail mary, but I can say with some confidence, if you're going to make a pass at your city's most famous professional athlete, you should definitely double check to make sure you're not sending it to his pregnant wife instead.

From Golf Digest

Their efforts end up telling us something about what it means to assess our lives without giving up on ourselves: “We make a pass at a swell in realism, and look for the hook. We back up at the hint of something. We butt in. We try to describe the smell; we trim the fat to pinpoint what seems to be the matter here.”

From The New Yorker

Related Words

• attack
• seek
• struggle
• work