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 Trump had previously passed up opportunities to do so, including in an interview with TIME. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026 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 Coach Todd Bowles passed up a 65-yard field-goal attempt by Chase McLaughlin, who made one from that distance last year. — ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026 After her senior year, Fisher passed up several offers to study law on the West Coast. — Benjamin Wofford, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 Another time, deep in Rutgers territory, Riley passed up on a fourth-quarter field goal on fourth down, only for USC’s fourth-down pass to come up short. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026 By rolling back, or reducing, its levy rate by 65 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, the district effectively reduced homeowners’ taxes but passed up $22 million in extra revenue that year. — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026 What information no longer needs to be collected, reconciled, summarized, and passed up a chain of people before anyone acts? — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026 Three years ago, Anthony Romani was passed up in the 2023 NHL Draft. — Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 28 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for passed up

Verb

Around Tahereh were people who refused to accept that her fate was predetermined.

— Tanaz Eshaghian, Time, 10 Nov. 2026
Last year, most of the Pentagon press corps refused to sign on, and vacated their regular spaces at the complex.

— Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of refused

Verb

She’s gotten used to trying, and trying again; while applying for fiction writing classes in college, Adeyemi says, she was rejected five semesters in a row.

— Wisdom Iheanyichukwu, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026
The three Republicans on the court backed the proposal, arguing the poll sites were underutilized, while the two Democrats rejected it.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of rejected

Verb

In the most recent year of accounting, homelessness increased slightly in the city but declined significantly in Raman’s council district.

— Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
The Post also sought comment on Alex’s allegations; when the agency asked for Alex’s personal information, the newspaper declined to provide it, citing his safety concerns.

— Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of declined

Verb

Residents turned down an advisory referendum asking if fruit trees should be banned as part of the village’s ongoing rodent abatement program.

— Alicia Fabbre, Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2026
How Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith, at the precipice of becoming generational voices themselves, turned down his invitation to join the madness.

— Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 7 Nov. 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

The Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, has already passed the House but is still awaiting Senate approval.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Nov. 2026
The bill passed the House in July 2025 by a 294-134 vote, but failed to advance in the Senate in September on a 49-50 procedural vote.

— Greg Iacurci,Annie Nova,Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Sarah Agostino,Mike Winters, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of passed

Verb

The College Football Playoff selection committee has insulted them, their city has mostly ignored them, and few outside of the range of Bob Chesney’s wonderfully gravelly football voice has actually believed in them.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
But Colom and his Black supporters also have never ignored the significance of his candidacy as a Black man.

— Bill Barrow, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of ignored

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 12 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of passed up

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gauntlet

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes