pass up

verb

passed up; passing up; passes up

transitive verb

: to let go by without accepting or taking advantage of

pass up a chance for promotion

also : decline, reject

Synonyms

• balk (at)
• decline
• deselect
• disapprove
• negative
• nix
• pass
• refuse
• reject
• reprobate
• repudiate
• spurn
• throw out
• throw over
• turn down

Examples of pass up in a Sentence

I must pass up the offer to be chairman of this event.

Recent Examples on the Web

So the idea of being able to be a part of that and lend our voices to it a little bit was a great opportunity, and really impossible to sort of pass up. —Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024

But Draymond Green bounced an advance pass up the middle of the court for Buddy Hield, who raced with it for a buzzer-beating trey of his own. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024

Get the Recipe 04 of 40 Garlic Knots Buttery, herby garlic knots are too good to pass up, especially when served with warm marinara sauce for quick dipping. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2024

Even Bobby Portis is keeping his eyes up, passing up his usual mid-range looks in favor of hitting cutters like Taurean Prince on backdoor slashes. —Brian Sampson, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above