pass up

verb

passed up; passing up; passes up
Synonyms of pass upnext

transitive verb

: to let go by without accepting or taking advantage of
pass up a chance for promotion
also : decline, reject

Synonyms of pass up

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Examples of pass up in a Sentence

I must pass up the offer to be chairman of this event.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For would-be pirates in a country currently grappling with drought, worsening food insecurity, and shrinking humanitarian assistance, the economic incentives and risk-reward balance may be too tempting to pass up. — Aparajita Saxena, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 Mautone found the resemblance of the honeydew balls to tennis balls too good to pass up. — Jason Jones, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 What information no longer needs to be collected, reconciled, summarized, and passed up a chain of people before anyone acts? — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026 Maybe Walter genuinely fielded an unexpected offer too big to pass up. — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pass up

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pass up was in 1896

Rhymes for pass up

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Browse Nearby Words

pass unnoticed
pass up
passus
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pass up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pass%20up. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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