PASSED UP Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

passed up

verb

past tense of pass up

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 passed up Three years ago, Anthony Romani was passed up in the 2023 NHL Draft. — Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 28 July 2026 But ultimately, Klaveness passed up the chance to render a broader verdict. — Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026 Remake includes footage of Adrian urging his father to consider Carr’s offer, and gently scolding him for having passed up certain opportunities to make money—money that would have made the family's life better—off his filmmaking acumen. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 July 2026 But in its filing, the Times’ legal team wrote that the person chosen for the role as deputy real estate editor was more qualified than the person who was passed up for the job, Bryant Roussau. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 July 2026 That play effectively started once defender Tim Ream tracked down a goal kick near the half-line, then passed up to Tyler Adams for a nonchalant back-heel pass to Tillman. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 2 July 2026 Stein passed up the lucrative life of corporate law and instead devoted himself to public service. — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2026 Flea markets offer one-of-a-kind finds that are hard to replace if passed up. — Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 25 June 2026 But because the Marlins, who played at the Miami Gardens stadium at the time, would be playing regular-season games that coincided with the summer tournament, Miami was passed up in favor of Orlando. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for passed up

Verb

In February, Trump appointee Vinay Prasad—a Kennedy ally—refused to even review the vaccine, despite objections from FDA staff and career officials, shocking Moderna and the larger biomedical community.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026
Thursday's vote was along party lines, and came after Fauci refused to answer lawmakers' questions in a hearing last week about the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, citing his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination.

— Eric McDaniel, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of refused

Verb

Crump has also rejected notions from law enforcement officials that Wells may have drowned, citing the teenager’s ability to swim well and his athletic past.

— Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026
Florida Crystals consistently rejected those criticisms, saying the company complied with environmental regulations, invested heavily in conservation and upheld labor standards.

— Luisa Yanez, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of rejected

Verb

Quinn declined, however, to move Coleman earlier in camp when starting center Nick Allegretti went down with a calf injury, opting instead to use Julian Good-Jones and let Coleman focus on left guard.

— Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
The case was rejected by the District Attorney’s office in April 2024, and the Santa Monica City Attorney’s office declined to press charges.

— Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of declined

Verb

But shortly after the Edinburgh screening, Tuttle revealed the film had been turned down by every major festival it had been submitted to because of its subject matter.

— Zac Ntim, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2026
The court turned down his bid to impose sanctions for ignoring evidence undermining her claims, saying there’s no evidence of bad faith.

— Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of turned down

Verb

One of the highlight plays of the first two days was a beautiful ball Prescott threw over the top of cornerback Caelen Carson directly into the hands of Pickens running up the left sideline.

— Jon Machota, New York Times, 31 July 2026
That kid threw over-powering heat, but not nearly like this ox.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026

Definition of threw over

Verb

But drug manufacturers argue that the savings are not being passed along to patients, and that hospitals and others are instead profiting from the program.

— Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
No total solar eclipse in modern records has passed closer to Earth’s northernmost point.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of passed

Browse Nearby Words

passed over

passed up

passel

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Passed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passed%20up. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of passed up

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

salvo

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes