pass away

Idioms  

1. Also,. Die, as in He passed away last week, or After Grandma passes on we'll sell the land, or I hear he's about to pass over. All these terms are euphemisms for dying, although the verb pass alone as well as pass away have been used in the sense of “pass out of existence, die” since the 1300s. The two variants—adding on [c. 1800] and over [c. 1900]—allude to moving to some other-worldly realm.

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Example Sentences

When his children pass away, he continues, maybe they’ll be buried on the moon, or on Mars.

From Slate • May 8, 2026

James turned the ball over for the fourth time in the fourth quarter when Alperen Sengun tipped a bounce pass away from Kennard.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

I say people died when they, uh, pass away.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Morar's contract with residents says any funds it holds will be returned if they move or pass away, but it does not say when it will be returned.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

‘You have chosen the Evening; but my love is given to the Morning. And my heart forebodes that soon it will pass away for ever.’

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Related Words

• die
• expire
• perish
• succumb