Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

crop up

British  

verb

  1. informal (intr, adverb) to occur or appear, esp unexpectedly

"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

crop up Idioms  
  1. Appear unexpectedly or occasionally, as in One theory that crops up periodically is the influence of sunspots on stock prices, or We hope new talent will crop up in the next freshman class. [Mid-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.

See Examples For:

As proposals crop up in SoCal, they’re met with fierce opposition.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 2, 2026

This isn’t all that uncommon: Trends crop up in filmmaking all the time, as potential narratives emerge from real-life events and cultural obsessions.

From Salon May 25, 2026

The figures do not include spending on campaigns visible across the entire United Kingdom, which could also crop up on social media feeds in Wales.

From BBC Apr. 25, 2026

Yet cogent objections to post-’60s permissiveness crop up with some regularity, if you’re looking for them.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 15, 2026

A gray tinge lingers just under the whiteness of her skin, and tiny patches of whiskers crop up along her cheeks.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training