From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpass by phrasal verb1 pass by (somebody/something)GO to go past a person, place, vehicle etc They all waved as they passed by. Will you be passing by the supermarket on your way home? → passerby2 pass somebody bySATISFIED if something passes you by, it happens but you are not involved in it She felt that life was passing her by. → pass→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
pass by• I want to call out bravely, the way little children in the countryside used to exclaim when we passed by.• It isn't something you could pass by and not notice.• It had clearly passed by the inhabitants of this quiet corner of Picardy.• Longest Night had passed by without incident, and Chater had not returned until mid-January.pass by (somebody/something)• I want to call out bravely, the way little children in the countryside used to exclaim when we passed by.• It isn't something you could pass by and not notice.• Three, in one form or another, are still in the budget bill passed by Congress and vetoed by President Clinton.• That day at the office seemed to pass by in an even more dreamlike fashion than usual.• It had clearly passed by the inhabitants of this quiet corner of Picardy.• Also, the House rejected a measure, passed by the Senate Tuesday, to reopen closed government offices.• But the positive interest of an agent is some guarantee that your work is not passing by unnoticed.• Longest Night had passed by without incident, and Chater had not returned until mid-January.pass somebody by• He ended up a bitter old man who felt that life had somehow passed him by.• Seize opportunities while you can -- don't let them pass you by.• Sometimes I feel that all the best things in life are passing me by. 