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.
Links to the chats, some of which included personal and work information, would show up if a user of a search engine like Google used a site-specific search term.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
People physically show up, demanding that their rights be vindicated.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
I said I had five cats, which was true if you included the semi-feral ones who show up every day for their third or fourth meal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Treasury Department officials said on the same day that the $1,000 seed money would begin to show up in accounts.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Bright and I were hoping Matthew would show up early too, because he was bringing the ball.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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.
