pass muster
/ˌpæs ˈmʌs.tɚ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.41 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To meet or exceed a particular standard.
verb
To adequately pass a formal or informal inspection.
Example Sentences
- "To get a raise, an employee must pass muster with the boss."
- "Also passing muster were the loin of lamb in a zinfandel sauce and a variation on chicken marsala served with an avocado, tomato and cheese topping."
- "[George] Harrison's all-American band had passed muster on Dark Horse and were the leading performers of the period […]"
- "Supple yet tough, these nylon pants can take a week of bushwhacking and still pass muster at a dress-code restaurant."
- "So while speaking directly to a celebrated stranger may not be possible without first passing muster with a squad of handlers and publicists, you can do the next best thing: dial the famous person's last listed phone number and talk to the lucky, star-dusted citizen who inherited it."
- "In any event, the Texas law clearly passes muster under rational basis review, which doesn't presume to grade our citizens' moral judgments as if they were submitted as part of an undergraduate exam in moral philosophy."
Etymology
From pass (“to undergo successfully”) + muster (“military assemblage or review”); from 1570s, originally as pass musters.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌpæs ˈmʌs.tɚ/
- British English: /ˌpɑːs ˈmʌst.ə/