as in refused
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
I must pass up the offer to be chairman of this event
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Recent Examples of passed up
Most general manager candidates cannot afford to be picky, especially those on the older end of the spectrum who have been passed up for previous jobs.
—
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Origin In 1976 Mattel passed up the opportunity to become the exclusive producer of Star Wars toys, which went on to become multimillion-dollar bestsellers.
—Sanat Pai Raikarall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026
The team passed up Oregon’s Dillon Thienemen for Freeling in the first round, and Morgan decided to wait until the fifth round to dial up a safety for selection.
—Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Flea markets offer one-of-a-kind finds that are hard to replace if passed up.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 25 Apr. 2026
The veteran winger passed up a one-timer with the extra man about five minutes into the third period.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
Retaliation can include being assigned to a station far from home, passed up for promotions or labeled a troublemaker.
—Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Edwards turned the ball over with 31 seconds left and Christian Braun got fouled at the other end after Jokic passed up a floater to tie it.
—CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
The ancient Greeks, who rarely passed up a good soak, were among the first to seek self-care in the island's plentiful thermal springs.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 31 Mar. 2026
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Origin In 1976 Mattel passed up the opportunity to become the exclusive producer of Star Wars toys, which went on to become multimillion-dollar bestsellers.
—Sanat Pai Raikarall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026
The team passed up Oregon’s Dillon Thienemen for Freeling in the first round, and Morgan decided to wait until the fifth round to dial up a safety for selection.
—Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Flea markets offer one-of-a-kind finds that are hard to replace if passed up.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 25 Apr. 2026
The veteran winger passed up a one-timer with the extra man about five minutes into the third period.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
Retaliation can include being assigned to a station far from home, passed up for promotions or labeled a troublemaker.
—Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Edwards turned the ball over with 31 seconds left and Christian Braun got fouled at the other end after Jokic passed up a floater to tie it.
—CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
The ancient Greeks, who rarely passed up a good soak, were among the first to seek self-care in the island's plentiful thermal springs.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passed up
Verb
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So far, Aoun has refused to engage in face-to-face discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding a complete halt to Israeli fire on the country.—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
-
Since officials in the Canary Islands refused to allow Hondius to dock in Tenerife, the boat will instead anchor offshore.—
Mark Osborne,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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While Raman portrayed herself as the focus of attacks from both opponents, Bass’ campaign rejected that framing as a distraction from her debate performance and City Council record.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
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Last year, the governor rejected the legislation banning algorithms that had been used to hike rent prices in Denver and elsewhere, despite a letter from the House Democratic caucus urging him to sign it.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Kazarian declined to comment further on Friday afternoon.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
The Padres placed Cruz on the restricted list in mid-March and have declined further comment.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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In fact, one of the most joyful parts of the job for Victor Wisehart, the studio’s director of community outreach, is telling parents who’ve been repeatedly turned down that Chance 2 Dance would love to welcome them.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
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Evans turned down the plea offer.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
In 2003, 20 pitchers threw over 200 innings.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
-
On third-and-7, Fields threw over the middle to receiver Josh Reynolds for 6 yards, short of the first-down marker.—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Many of the labor leaders and their allies in the General Assembly credited Lamont for his support of the lengthy labor bill that passed in the final days of this year’s legislative session.—
Andrew Brown,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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Then, for the second time in his career, Morton passed the torch to a future Hall of Famer, rookie quarterback John Elway.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Despite wooden signs prohibiting people reserving sun loungers with towels and then leaving them, the father-of-two said guests routinely ignored the warning.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
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To some, the data centers are an inevitable part of our future and an economic opportunity that can’t be ignored as the global AI race accelerates.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passed%20up. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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