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.
Now, just 1,000 containers pass by the largely vacant docks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
As it continues inward, it is expected to make its closest pass by Messier 87 in roughly 200-300 million years.
From Science Daily • Jun. 1, 2026
We pass by the opportunity to invest our resources in other kinds of things like producing more housing.
From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026
You can imagine the first misplaced pass by Spurs, they will blame it on Frank, and those grumbles will only grow as the game goes on.
From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026
The website should warn people about this: that to get there, you have to pass by the cops.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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.
