pass the baton

P

pass the baton

Meaning

• give responsibility for something important to another person.
• provide someone with the obligation or duty in question.
• to assign someone else the responsibility for something.
• to transfer a job or responsibility to someone else.

Example Sentences

1. After a successful decade as CEO, he chose to pass the baton and retire.
2. Just like athletes in a relay race must pass the baton swiftly and seamlessly to maintain their lead,
3. It’s essential for experienced mentors to pass the baton and share their insight with emerging generations when they can no longer carry on so that transitions remain effortless.
4. Following her presidential term, she ceremoniously passes the baton of the leadership position to the new leader.
5. In any collective endeavor, it is imperative that we pass the baton to each party involved in order to attain a prosperous result.
6. The governor of the Bank of America resigns this month, passing on the baton to one of his closest associates.

Origin

The phrase “passing the baton” is thought to have originated in the Olympic relay race around 1967, signifying duty and denoting that a successful outcome requires collective effort. This understanding of collaboration was embodied by passing an emblematic baton from competitor to competitor.

The idiom “pass the baton” refers to the act of transferring a responsibility or task from one person to another. It is derived from the sport of relay racing, where each runner passes a baton to the next teammate while running. The phrase has become popular in both literal and figurative contexts, conveying the idea of smoothly and seamlessly transferring responsibility or leadership.

For example, a business leader might use the phrase to describe handing off a project from one team to another or passing on the leadership of a company to the next generation. Nowadays, “passing the baton” is a popular phrase used to describe the act of transferring responsibility or initiating change. It can be applied in many situations, ranging from sports to politics and business. The phrase is often used to emphasize the importance of collaboration and teamwork in achieving a successful outcome or transition. By passing the baton, all involved parties are symbolically agreeing to take part in a collective effort and trust each other to do their part.

Duty, Task