pass the baton

pass the baton (third-person singular simple present passes the baton, present participle passing the baton, simple past and past participle passed the baton)

1. (figuratively) To pass the torch.

   Synonyms: pass the mantle, step down, stand aside

   • 2020 June 3, Lilian Greenwood talks to Paul Stephen, “Rail's 'underlying challenges' remain”, in Rail, page 35:

     But having now passed on the baton, she expects him to develop his own style of chairmanship and provide strong leadership.

• “passed the baton”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “hand over the baton pass the baton pick up the baton”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “pass the baton”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.