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

The Steelers’ offense could limit his upside, but the opportunity in a potentially high-scoring game is too good to pass up. — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 23 Sep. 2026

After her senior year, Fisher passed up several offers to study law on the West Coast. — Benjamin Wofford, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

Another time, deep in Rutgers territory, Riley passed up on a fourth-quarter field goal on fourth down, only for USC’s fourth-down pass to come up short. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

The site looks polished, the branding feels familiar, and the deal seems hard to pass up. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 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