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
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When insurance twice refused to cover a nearly $800,000-a-year drug that Paxton Pope’s doctor believed could dramatically reduce his frequent seizures, his family initially braced for a serious medical setback.—
Vicky Nguyen,
NBC news,
11 Dec. 2025
-
While most Democratic senators pushed to keep the shutdown going as Republicans refused to negotiate, a small group of centrist Democrats struck a deal with Majority Leader John Thune for a future health care vote, with no guarantee of success, in exchange for their votes to reopen the government.—
Mary Clare Jalonick,
Fortune,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Ivan said that while he is allowed to communicate with his youngest brothers, his requests to visit have been rejected by those in charge.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
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The employee rejected his advances and reported it to supervisors, Golf Digest reported.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Griffith, who declined to comment after the hearing, did not identify the man by his name or job.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Aug. 2025
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Kikuchi’s strikeout rate has declined from 32% last year to 24%, while his walk rate increased from 6% to 10%.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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That summer, Mbappe turned down the chance to join Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, despite PSG giving him permission to speak to them following a €300m bid in July 2023.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
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On the other side, the suitor the board turned down, Paramount, which is resorting to a tactic known as a hostile takeover.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Stationed at third base with another runner at first base and no outs in the eighth inning, Alcántara ran halfway toward home plate when Bregman hit a line drive at Giants first baseman Rafael Devers, who immediately threw over to third base for the double play.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
8 June 2026
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That kid threw over-powering heat, but not nearly like this ox.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The bill passed unanimously in the state Senate in January.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
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More than a decade has passed since Cristiano Ronaldo last played a football match in the United States.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The controversy surrounding the transition blush technique is just another example of how easily, in many different fields and industries, Black women’s contributions go ignored, overlooked and erased.—
Janice Gassam Asare,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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That was followed by a spot on the Miami Swim Week runway and a rise up the pop culture rankings that couldn’t be ignored.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passed%20up. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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