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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
-
California officials have flatly refused.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
Since 2008, Medicare has refused to reimburse hospitals for the additional cost of treating many infections that develop after admission.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The comments came two weeks after the House rejected DeSantis’ push to pass bills to expand vaccine exemptions for children entering public schools and to install consumer-friendly regulations on artificial intelligence products and companies.—
Gray Rohrer,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026
-
Bianco launched a voter‑fraud investigation after a local group claimed the county counted roughly 46,000 more ballots than were received, a claim election officials rejected.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Yolo County’s homeless population declined slightly over the past two years, but nearly two-thirds of the people counted in January were living outdoors as county leaders considered millions of dollars in cuts to the services many rely on.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2026
-
Nearby homeowner Mike, who declined to provide his last name and lost his home in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, said the changing weather is a reminder of how quickly fire danger can escalate.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Fletcher also said he was disappointed in the FA for where the game took place after City hosted the final at their academy ground — Joie Stadium — instead of the first team’s Etihad stadium and turned down an offer from United to host it at Old Trafford.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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The opportunity to interview these people would never have been turned down by other organizations, but there was also a sense that these dictators and terrorists and authoritarians were realizing that CNN were giving them this unfiltered platform to speak to the American people.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
That kid threw over-powering heat, but not nearly like this ox.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 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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Use the dropdown below to explore how districts’ 2024 presidential election results have shifted in each state that has passed new maps.—
Ashley Wu,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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Tariffs, energy volatility, supply chain realignment and accelerated technology investment introduce unpredictability that cannot always be passed to customers.—
David Pennino,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The state dashboard and local improvement plans Brown touted are singled out for criticism in the report, essentially validating concerns that reformers had voiced but were ignored.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
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In an April statement, the union said the company ignored its March 18 letter and several requests by phone, asking to lift the lockout and allow members to return to work while negotiations continue.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passed%20up. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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