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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.

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

“So our idea was just kind of stop being such fuddy-duds and realize there’s a time to pass the hat, and that’s what we’ve done,” he says.

From Washington Post • Feb. 25, 2021

The owners were reluctant to pass the hat with an online fundraiser.

From Washington Times • Jan. 3, 2021

“My mother loved music, and she taught me songs, country music, spirituals. I would sing for people and pass the hat when I was 4.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2016

“And to show their appreciation, what did the boys do but pass the hat for you!”

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

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.