pass by
Britishverb
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(intr) to go or move past
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(tr, adverb) to overlook or disregard
to pass by difficult problems
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Proceed past something, as in If you pass by a white house, you've gone too far . [c. 1300]
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Also, pass over . Disregard, overlook, as in Just pass by the first few pages and you'll get to the basics , or Ralph was passed over for promotion . [1300s]
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.
The supersonic aircraft are a key part of the US's combat arsenal, and produce a notoriously loud roar when they pass by.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
The Aggies led 41-20 later in the fourth when Julio Humphrey intercepted a pass by Boley and returned it 45 yards for another score.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
"The holes are dangerous because they have water, and our children pass by them every day on their way to school and to the shops," she said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
She romantically contends that street food is an “impulse buy – you pass by it, and it smells good, so you buy it to eat quickly.”
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
I watch Philadelphia and then so many towns I can’t name pass by my reflection in the window.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
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.
