as in refusing
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 passing up
The Emmys’ producers passing up on even the slightest possibility of a Werner Herzog acceptance speech is sheer lunacy.
—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
20 June 2026
The Supreme Court is staying out of a case about whether the Catholic Church misled parishioners about the purpose of an annual collection, passing up a chance to probe the independence churches have from government interference.
—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
Simpson was back in Los Angeles for the first time since April 24, the day after the seemingly Super Bowl-ready Rams surprised many by passing up the opportunity to select a receiver to choose an Alabama quarterback with only 15 starts.
—
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
But Belchetz, though imperfect, is a bit of a unicorn that teams will have a tough time passing up on in this range.
—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Charles compared people passing up investing in Amazon to how many publishers turned down the now wildly popular Harry Potter books.
—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Nazem Kadri is passing up shots and sometimes looks uncomfortable gripping his stick right now.
—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
During the costly possession when the Rebels let the shot clock expire with 41 seconds left, Thienou surprised her coach by passing up a shot while the crowd was roaring and clearly distracting the visitors.
—
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Redick pointed to Luka Doncic’s season-high 15 assists, which were lost in the noise of the Slovenian star passing up a potential game-winning 3-pointer.
—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
27 Feb. 2026
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
20 June 2026
The Supreme Court is staying out of a case about whether the Catholic Church misled parishioners about the purpose of an annual collection, passing up a chance to probe the independence churches have from government interference.
—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
Simpson was back in Los Angeles for the first time since April 24, the day after the seemingly Super Bowl-ready Rams surprised many by passing up the opportunity to select a receiver to choose an Alabama quarterback with only 15 starts.
—
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
But Belchetz, though imperfect, is a bit of a unicorn that teams will have a tough time passing up on in this range.
—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Charles compared people passing up investing in Amazon to how many publishers turned down the now wildly popular Harry Potter books.
—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Nazem Kadri is passing up shots and sometimes looks uncomfortable gripping his stick right now.
—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
During the costly possession when the Rebels let the shot clock expire with 41 seconds left, Thienou surprised her coach by passing up a shot while the crowd was roaring and clearly distracting the visitors.
—
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Redick pointed to Luka Doncic’s season-high 15 assists, which were lost in the noise of the Slovenian star passing up a potential game-winning 3-pointer.
—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing up
Verb
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Trump has frequently been at odds with the NBA during his two terms in office, with big stars like Stephen Curry and LeBron James refusing invites during his first term in office.
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In a shocking decision in February, Prasad rejected Moderna’s filing, refusing to even review the vaccine.
Verb
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As its offense gained confidence, Scotland turned away two more Moroccan scoring bids, with Hendry sliding to deflect a Sabiri dangerous shot off the crossbar and Gunn rejecting an El Khannouss header off a corner kick.
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What the Business Roundtable Actually Showed In 2019, the Business Roundtable issued a statement seemingly rejecting shareholder primacy.
Verb
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Factors such as declining birth rates and families moving out of the city are contributing to declining enrollment at Denver Public Schools.
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While one in three students nationwide experienced chronic absenteeism during the 2021-2022 academic year, the rate is declining, from up to 30% to roughly 24% by the start of the past school year, according to estimates from the Return 2 Learn tracker reviewed by ABC News.
Verb
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Value your time by turning down unpaid tasks.
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Tips for Reducing Home Cooling Costs To further maximize your energy savings, consider these tips for cooling your home without turning down the AC.
Verb
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Anthony had a cortisone shot last week and had begun throwing over the weekend.
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Next, a gentle tip-tap rippling through major East Coast cities, as the girls collectively add to cart whatever Holmes is toting or throwing over her shoulders.
Verb
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The Knights’ highlighted their effort by throwing out a runner at the plate in the second inning.
-
Murakami is working on a two-year, $34 million deal, and in an era when some teams try to lock up young talent with long and lucrative contract extensions, a 25-game sample size is a little too small for Getz to start throwing out more years and dollars.
Cite this Entry
“Passing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing%20up. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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