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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passing up
Verb
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Moreover, lawmakers are engaged in budget negotiations, where the House is refusing to fund several of DeSantis’ priorities.—
Gray Rohrer,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026
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Former Representative Elizabeth Holtzman, one of the co-authors, has portrayed the act as a corrective to the moral failure of refusing entry to many Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
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As Business of Fashion reports, Gen-Z in particular is rejecting mass-market trends in the pursuit of a true personal style, often favoring one of a kind, unique pieces.—
Katherine McLaughlin,
Architectural Digest,
22 May 2026
-
School is where some students learn that mercilessly rejecting others is not only permissible but also necessary, to eliminate competition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
Black Bear officials cited the program's declining participation rates and finances as the reason.—
Kenny Jacoby,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
Sadly, bat populations are declining rapidly in North America.—
The Conversation,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Verb
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In hindsight, Julius Randle turning down a potential drive to the rim and instead lobbing a grenade to Rudy Gobert near the end of the shot clock was a harbinger of the rest of his night.—
Dane Mizutani,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
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Stanley Tucci is opening up about turning down opportunities to take part in food competition shows.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Verb
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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.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Pitchers are allowed two disengagements per plate appearance, either throwing over to first base or stepping off the rubber, or a combination of both.—
Abbey Mastracco,
Hartford Courant,
23 Mar. 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 25 May. 2026.
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