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
Or, if coloring isn’t their jam, a book of crossword or sudoku puzzles could offer them another good way to pass the time and get their mind off of treatment.
—
Kristin Canning, SELF, 16 Aug. 2024
They're being treated to a particularly French way to pass the time: mimes.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 30 July 2024
This was a reminder that there is no treading water like a cable-news anchor trying to pass the time while waiting for something to happen.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 30 May 2024
Audiences will have to speculate wildly on whether that actually happens, because the season ends with the survivors gathered in a hollow of ruins and weeds, entertaining each other with belly-achingly hilarious stories to pass the time and avoid thoughts of their grim outlook in the wilderness.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 27 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for pass the time 
Kristin Canning, SELF, 16 Aug. 2024
They're being treated to a particularly French way to pass the time: mimes.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 30 July 2024
This was a reminder that there is no treading water like a cable-news anchor trying to pass the time while waiting for something to happen.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 30 May 2024
Audiences will have to speculate wildly on whether that actually happens, because the season ends with the survivors gathered in a hollow of ruins and weeds, entertaining each other with belly-achingly hilarious stories to pass the time and avoid thoughts of their grim outlook in the wilderness.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 27 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for pass the time
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pass the time.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Pass the time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pass%20the%20time. Accessed 11 Sep. 2024.
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