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

Rodriguez’s inability to miss bats plays right into Eldridge’s wheelhouse, making his +484 odds to hit a home run too good to pass up. — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026

The promise of a big return for Skubal could be too good to pass up. — The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 24 July 2026

But ultimately, Klaveness passed up the chance to render a broader verdict. — Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026

Remake includes footage of Adrian urging his father to consider Carr’s offer, and gently scolding him for having passed up certain opportunities to make money—money that would have made the family's life better—off his filmmaking acumen. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 July 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