pass up

present singular third person passes up · participle present passing up · participle past passed up · past passed up

1. idiomatictransitiveTo refuse (not accept); forgo.

   He passed up my invitation for dinner, saying he was too busy.

   2 more examples

   Everton were, perhaps understandably, deflated at the setback and it was no surprise when Suarez added Liverpool's second after 82 minutes. Distin and Baines were involved in a mix-up as the Uruguayan advanced into the area, and he was not about to pass up the gift to shoot low past Howard.

   2011 October 1, Phil McNulty, “Everton 0 - 2 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport

   But he also feared that if he passed up the opportunity, he’d never learn the skills necessary to take his clients to the next level.

   2023 October 19, Brendan I. Koerner, “Watch This Guy Work, and You’ll Finally Understand the TikTok Era”, in Wired, →ISSN

2. MalaysiaSingaporetransitiveTo submit (hand in) items to a person, usually one's teacher.

   The teacher told us to pass up our English homework.

   3 more examples

   Be punctual and pass up schoolwork on time.

   1979 September 16, “THE TWENTY MAXIMS”, in The Straits Times, page 1

   The teachers called me, she doesn't do her work, she doesn't pass up work, she'll hide her papers everywhere.

   2004, Lana Yiu Lan Khong, Family Matters: The Role of Parents in the Singapore Education, page 159

   At times, when I had to pass up assignments, I did them whenever I had any free time at work.

   2015 May 11, Hafsah Ali, Shhhh!!! Can Airport Talk?

3. transitiveUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pass, up.

   Can you pass up this box to the guy on the ladder?

   Synonyms: withgo