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Synonyms

pass for

Idioms  

  1. Be accepted as or believed to be, usually something that is not so. For example, Jean is 23 but could pass for a teenager, or They thought that copy would pass for an original. [Late 1500s]

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 with the rest of the market so pricey, card networks might even pass for a decent bargain at the moment.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who chairs the budget committee, said at a Jan. 27 meeting that the free pass for illegal cannabis businesses is a “loophole” that should be closed.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

And you are both taking a risk financially: Whatever you put on paper will only come to pass for one of you.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Ollie Chessum, brought in for his heft, delivered in spades, scoring two tries, laying on a deft pass for Alex Coles' score and clanging about in close combat.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

With his long dark hair and hooded white chaulnot, riding a spectral with panache and speaking Unseen as though his smoky voice were made for it, Lazlo could almost pass for one of the Tizerkane.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

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.