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.
PeakMetrics, a startup that tracks online discussions, introduced a service monitoring how brands show up in outputs by gen AI chatbots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
"We have a long camp and I am sure he will show up."
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
“When it starts to get tough, you show up, you help, and if you add a little joy while you’re doing it, that’s so you know it’s even better.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Meanwhile, conditions like allergies often don’t show up until a pet is 2 or 3 years old, Quammen said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Daddy says the whole county will likely show up for Dismay’s Life Service.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
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.
