show up

British  

verb

1. to reveal or be revealed clearly

2. (tr) to expose or reveal the faults or defects of by comparison

3. informal (tr) to put to shame; embarrass

   he showed me up in front of my friends

4. informal (intr) to appear or arrive

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show up Idioms  

1. Be clearly visible, as in The print doesn't show up against this dark background . [Late 1800s]

2. Put in an appearance, arrive, as in I wonder if he'll show up at all . [Late 1800s]

3. Expose or reveal the true character of, as in This failure showed up their efforts as a waste of time . [Early 1800s]

4. 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]

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Example Sentences

However, prolonged disruptions would amount to a meaningful supply shock, with cost pressures likely to show up first in producer prices before gradually filtering through to consumers, Liu added.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We’ve shown up for each other as friends over the years, through all the highs and lows, and what’s developed recently was the last thing either of us expected.”

From Los Angeles Times

Toddler groups, football clubs and local charities all showed up at the supermarket to collect boxes.

From BBC

“If we didn’t have any instrumentation, we could have launched something great that showed up wonderful on video, but we wouldn’t know if it performed well.”

From Los Angeles Times

Higher wholesale energy prices often show up first at the fuel pump and this is being seen, not just in the US but around the world.

From BBC

Related Words

• appear
• come
• get
• get in
• turn up