pass up

verb

Definition of pass upnext
as in to refuse
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to I must pass up the offer to be chairman of this event

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pass up With three minutes left in the half, Jokic passed up a platter of open shots, and his pass found Tyus Jones on the left wing, who swung it to the corner as Utah’s defense rotated. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026 Seoul claims Ukraine requested secrecy to avoid domestic criticism for passing up the opportunity to exchange the North Koreans for Ukrainian prisoners held in Russia. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026 One thing Raye will never pass up is an opportunity to bring big band back to big stages. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for pass up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pass up
  1. refuse
  2. reject
  3. decline
  4. turn down
  5. throw over
Verb
  • Gee refused to budge, saying the 10-year ban was firm and accusing the national organizations of encouraging the break.
    — Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In one instance, a Minnesota hotel that refused to let immigration officers stay there in January apologized after public criticism from DHS, saying the decision violated its internal policies.
    — Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of refuse
Verb
  • Quebec voters have twice rejected independence, most recently by a razor-thin margin in a 1995 referendum.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • For countries that rejected the open international order, as the axis countries do today, the benefits were far fewer and the penalties considerable.
    — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of reject
Verb
  • Central bank holdings at the New York Fed declined 40 tonnes in August, Goldman added, while holdings at the Bank of England rose 46 tonnes.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For this story, however, the district declined to comment due to Ortiz’s lawsuit, which is ongoing.
    — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • Evidence in that case showed that Asian applicants with very high test scores were often turned down.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • According to a 2026 survey funded by a high school trades group and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, 1 in 6 students reported trying to enroll in trades courses but being turned down due to a lack of space.
    — P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of turn down
Verb
  • With its three-quarter sleeves and boat neckline, Hadid’s version felt particularly well suited to these strange in-between September days, a cream suede jacket thrown over her bag just in case.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
  • In his breakout season in 2025, Maye showed that one of his quarterbacking superpowers is throwing over the middle of the field.
    — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of throw over

Browse Nearby Words

passports
pass up
password
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Cite this Entry

“Pass up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pass%20up. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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