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 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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing up
Verb
-
New York Knicks owner James Dolan is refusing to let go of his grudge against Charles Oakley, even with the franchise back in the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
He was stripped of his heavyweight title and sentenced to a five-year prison term for refusing induction into the military (the Supreme Court unanimously overturned Ali’s conviction on appeal).—
Michael Cunningham,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
After initially rejecting a sanctuary city designation and related proposals, the council later adopted a broader resolution aimed at protecting immigrant communities.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
29 May 2026
-
The act also is seen as a symbol of rejecting evil and a commemoration of the Prophet Ibrahim’s rejection of temptation when the devil tried to dissuade him from submitting to God’s will.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Writers and reporters at the conference are learning how to improve their coverage of topics, including changes to education at the federal and state levels, the use of artificial intelligence in schools, and declining enrollment.—
Kellye Lynn,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
-
As Hartford education officials work to mitigate a large budget deficit, a report from an outside firm The Connecticut State Department of Education hired to review Hartford Public Schools’ financials found that declining enrollment and decisions regarding salaries and hiring are to blame.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Maybe the best thing to happen to the Phillies was Alex Cora turning down president Dave Dombrowski’s offer to replace Thomson.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
-
Recently, after years of turning down offers to expand the brand, Chiva-Som recently opened its first outpost, Zulal Wellness Retreat in Qatar, focussing on family health.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Anthony had a cortisone shot last week and had begun throwing over the weekend.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
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.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Knights’ highlighted their effort by throwing out a runner at the plate in the second inning.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
15 May 2026
-
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.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passing%20up. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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