come forward

British

verb

to offer one's services; volunteer
to present oneself

"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

come forward Idioms

Present oneself, offer one's services, as in The boss asked for more help, but no one was inclined to come forward. [Early 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.

Switzerland’s unique model of “direct democracy” allows for proposals to be put forward through a referendum, which means fringe issues come forward more regularly than they do in other countries.

From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026

Dr Sharif Ismail from the UK Health Security Agency urged young people to come forward if they had missed being vaccinated.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2026

But on Monday, Harris announced that a witness had come forward after the release of the video.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

Barnes said the figures were likely only the tip of the iceberg as many victims remained too embarrassed to come forward.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026

Chuck Muckle motioned for the policeman to come forward.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

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