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Synonyms

pass the hat

Idioms  

  1. Ask for financial contributions, as in Let's pass the hat so we can get her a nice going-away gift. This expression alludes to the actual practice of passing a hat around a gathering, but it is also used more figuratively, as in The board decided to pass the hat again among the corporate sponsors. [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But critics say such loans are a symptom of a healthcare system under severe strain, with hospitals forced to pass the hat around the community.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

The owners were reluctant to pass the hat with an online fundraiser.

From Washington Times • Jan. 3, 2021

“My mother loved music, and she taught me songs, country music, spirituals. I would sing for people and pass the hat when I was 4.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2016

Isn't the purpose of performing on a train having a captive audience when you pass the hat?

From New York Times • Sep. 15, 2015

I offer to go door-to-door for donations and pass the hat around the cafeteria.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

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.