show up
Britishverb
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to reveal or be revealed clearly
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(tr) to expose or reveal the faults or defects of by comparison
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informal (tr) to put to shame; embarrass
he showed me up in front of my friends
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informal (intr) to appear or arrive
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Be clearly visible, as in The print doesn't show up against this dark background . [Late 1800s]
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Put in an appearance, arrive, as in I wonder if he'll show up at all . [Late 1800s]
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Expose or reveal the true character of, as in This failure showed up their efforts as a waste of time . [Early 1800s]
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Also, show someone up . Surpass someone in ability, outdo someone, as in John's high score on that math test really showed up the rest of the class . [ Colloquial ; first half of 1900s]
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.
“You don’t just show up to someone’s party and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to hold my own party, too,’” he said in Spanish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
“I think that’ll show up as less-than-robust demand on the housing side.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
When people will show up to see a movie regardless of its content or quality, filmmakers can cut all the corners they want.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
Even if it took Pakistan two and a half matches to show up, England have still won three consecutive Tests after a previous run of two wins in 10.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
“And really, it’s ghastly what we have to do to make our features show up on the screen. Completely different from what we’d wear out and about on an ordinary day.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
