pass the time
Idioms-
Occupy oneself for an interval, as in The plane was six hours late but I passed the time reading a book .
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pass the time of day . Exchange greetings, engage in pleasantries, chat, as in Whenever I met her we would stop to pass the time of day . [First half of 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.
Jury-rigging their electricity and doting on a dog named Jasper, they pass the time playing poker with stacks of now-useless greenbacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Dish, who now works as a financial planner, says she would buy "pretty much anything that was trending" but her biggest vice was scrolling on shopping apps to pass the time.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
To pass the time, he sat near the baggage area used by Trans World and Delta airlines, his back to the lockers about 40 feet away.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
It’s to pass the time and to have some fun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
To pass the time, he anagrammed her sprawling name: Katherine Mutsensberger.
From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
