pass the time
idiom
: to let time or a period of time go by especially while doing something enjoyable
We played games to pass the time on the bus.
Examples of pass the time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Verlander didn’t watch the first game of the doubleheader at the ballpark, instead walking around a nearby mall and seeing a movie with his family to pass the time.
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Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 July 2025
Since this comes in a pack of two, my kids will often use them to play tic-tac-toe, write secret messages to each other, or make up their own version of Pictionary to pass the time.
—Laura Lu, Parents, 30 June 2025
Some people drink or doom scroll social media to pass the time at the airport.
—Sydney Sasser, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2025
To pass the time, the woman bought a $10 Gold Rush 7s Multiplier ticket, lottery officials said.
—Daniella Segura, Miami Herald, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pass the time
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Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 July 2025
Since this comes in a pack of two, my kids will often use them to play tic-tac-toe, write secret messages to each other, or make up their own version of Pictionary to pass the time.
—Laura Lu, Parents, 30 June 2025
Some people drink or doom scroll social media to pass the time at the airport.
—Sydney Sasser, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2025
To pass the time, the woman bought a $10 Gold Rush 7s Multiplier ticket, lottery officials said.
—Daniella Segura, Miami Herald, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pass the time
Cite this Entry
“Pass the time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pass%20the%20time. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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