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Synonyms

pass up

British  

verb

  1. informal to let go by; ignore

    I won't pass up this opportunity

  2. to take no notice of (someone)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
pass up Idioms  

  1. Let go by, reject, as in I can't believe Betty passed up the chocolate cake, or This opportunity is too good to pass up. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ultimately, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to accomplish something that would have had his childhood self “so psyched,” he said on his podcast.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2026

In an exclusive interview with People magazine, Sweeney framed her participation as simple enthusiasm for the brand, saying that she loves jeans and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be part of the campaign.

From Salon • Dec. 6, 2025

Speaking on Saturday, former captain Michael Vaughan said it would be "amateurish" to pass up the opportunity to play in Canberra.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

Veronika is transporting the world’s largest diamond to Paris, an opportunity too tempting for the magicians to pass up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

Besides, it went against my nature to pass up an opportunity for a meal.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.