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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.

I’m trying to pass the hat around to my friends to meet margin calls.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

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

The city has been slow to pass the hat, so the Raiders now are planning a move to Los Angeles.

From Washington Post • Jul. 26, 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.