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

What information no longer needs to be collected, reconciled, summarized, and passed up a chain of people before anyone acts? — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026

Maybe Walter genuinely fielded an unexpected offer too big to pass up. — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Nelson, the Mavericks coach, and his son, the Mavericks GM, persuaded 20-year-old German star Dirk Nowitzki to pass up European basketball and join the franchise. — John Raby, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2026

Adding these and other finds designers never pass up on to your home can instantly make your spaces feel lived in and authentic. — Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 7 Aug. 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