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
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
But Schottenheimer’s reason for frequently passing up field goals for touchdowns had some logic behind it.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026
Wembanyama has been passing up many reasonable 3-point looks in the preseason and only taking wide-open ones.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Science scores were also mixed between grades, with 5th graders passing up 1%, 8th graders down 2% and high schoolers down 3%.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
In fact, passing up the Chiefs is the team’s top challenge entering Harbaugh’s second season.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 27 Feb. 2026
But Schottenheimer’s reason for frequently passing up field goals for touchdowns had some logic behind it.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026
Wembanyama has been passing up many reasonable 3-point looks in the preseason and only taking wide-open ones.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Science scores were also mixed between grades, with 5th graders passing up 1%, 8th graders down 2% and high schoolers down 3%.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
In fact, passing up the Chiefs is the team’s top challenge entering Harbaugh’s second season.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing up
Verb
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White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that Madrid’s position of refusing to allow the country’s military bases to be used in the ongoing Iran war had now changed.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
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Last month, the agency faced a firestorm of criticism for initially refusing to review an application from Moderna for an mRNA flu vaccine before ultimately accepting the application with some adjustments.—
Meg Tirrell,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Two in 5 Gen Zers are pursuing blue-collar fields, rejecting the collegiate path and learning trades, according to a May 2025 survey of 1,434 young adults by Resume Builder.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
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The Kansas Court of Appeals handed CoreCivic its latest in a string of legal defeats, rejecting the private prison company’s argument that it should be allowed to reopen its Leavenworth facility as an immigrant detention center before securing a local zoning permit.—
Matthew Kelly
February 27,
Kansas City Star,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Iranian retaliatory attacks appear to be declining — ballistic missile strikes have fallen by 90% and drone attacks by 83%, according to US Central Command — potentially easing pressure on Gulf states that have faced Iranian strikes in recent days.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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Instead of coming from declining direct-to-home satellite taxes, the money would come directly from state sales and use taxes.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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March 21 – April 19 The universe is turning down the volume.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Aries March 21 – April 19 The universe is turning down the volume.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The zone-heavy Chargers forced Hurts to beat them by throwing over the middle — a region Hurts attacks half as often as his peers — and Hurts was inconsistent.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Winter can be tough on houseplants, but don't go throwing out a dead-looking plant just yet.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
21 Feb. 2026
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But talking loudly and throwing out numbers that give the impression of action without many of these actions taking place are not what a respectable leader does.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing%20up. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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