pass up

verb

passed up; passing up; passes up

transitive verb

: to let go by without accepting or taking advantage of

pass up a chance for promotion

also : decline, reject

Synonyms of pass up

• refuse
• reject
• decline
• turn down
• throw over

Examples of pass up in a Sentence

I must pass up the offer to be chairman of this event.

Recent Examples on the Web

Simpson was back in Los Angeles for the first time since April 24, the day after the seemingly Super Bowl-ready Rams surprised many by passing up the opportunity to select a receiver to choose an Alabama quarterback with only 15 starts. —Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026

Amelia Bingham sent a perfect diagonal pass up the field to Piper Bingham, who ran onto the ball and scored the game’s first goal. —Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026

Most general manager candidates cannot afford to be picky, especially those on the older end of the spectrum who have been passed up for previous jobs. —Alec Lewis, New York Times, 6 May 2026

Origin In 1976 Mattel passed up the opportunity to become the exclusive producer of Star Wars toys, which went on to become multimillion-dollar bestsellers. —Sanat Pai Raikarall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pass up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup