come to pass

come to pass

To happen. The phrase often indicates that what is happening is the result of a course of events. Our only hope now is that these dire predictions will not come to pass, but can be avoided somehow. When it finally came to pass, it almost felt like a letdown.

See also: come, pass, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

come to pass

to happen; to take place. And when do you think all these good things will come to pass? Do you think it will really come to pass?

See also: come, pass, to

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

come to pass

To occur.

See also: come, pass, to

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

come to pass, to

To happen. Probably the most famous occurrence of this phrase is at the beginning of the Christmas story as related in the Gospel of St. Luke (2:1): “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus.” Eric Partridge said it was already a cliché by about 1700, but this archaic turn of phrase has survived nevertheless.

See also: come, to

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer