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 most fearless of daredevils shouldn’t pass up a trip to Mindanao to paraglide above the jungle or raft the whitewater of Cagayan de Oro all year round. —Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026

So going to see Rick Jackson speak to a breakfast crowd at a Golden Corral in Barrow County was a chance too good to pass up. —Patricia Murphy, AJC.com, 27 Mar. 2026

Grabbing Ramsey this late into day two of the draft was too good to pass up on. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026

Travis Di Lombardi-Spicer quit his audio producing job on the spot after getting passed up for a raise in January 2025. —Megan Sauer sarah Jackson sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 27 Mar. 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