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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Since Saturday, Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party, has been camped out in the heart of New Delhi, leading a crowd of protesters who are refusing to leave until the country’s education minister resigns over a national exam system mired in scandal.
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Fortunately for the Yankees, Bednar has returned to his All-Star form in recent weeks, refusing to allow a run over 12 innings and 11 games prior to Thursday’s series opener against the Red Sox.
Verb
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However, late Wednesday night, council members finalized plans, rejecting a proposal that would've raised the building's height and delayed the opening date.
-
As LLMs and autonomous workflows proliferate, human judgment in curating, refining, and rejecting AI output becomes increasingly valuable.
Verb
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With only a week of freedom under his belt, Cribbs said Powell is declining interviews for now, reentering the world with some trepidation.
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Investors must focus on forward-looking changes and a clear path for value realization, understanding that a declining stock isn't safer if its intrinsic value falls faster.
Verb
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Value your time by turning down unpaid tasks.
-
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 27 Jun. 2026.
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