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.

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

Block’s concerns crop up at a time when the market is extremely concerned about developing problems in the private-credit sector and the potential spillover from any crisis there would also impact the publicly-traded credit markets.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

If Henrik Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler” seems to crop up more often than his other plays, it’s probably because of the enigmatic hold the chilling title character has on actresses and audiences alike.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

Plus, you’ll also have a real person to talk to if problems crop up after April 15.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

By the time one thing was paid for something else always would crop up.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

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.