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

For markets, the question isn’t whether AI adoption continues—it will—but how those gains show up in financials.

From Barron's

Why would debasement fears only show up in precious metals?

From The Wall Street Journal

And so the players showed up brandishing hope for this summer while sweetly admitting the emotion that still lingers from last fall.

From Los Angeles Times

When asked why she showed up Saturday, she let out a heavy sigh.

From Los Angeles Times

Buses are showing up to local charter schools half empty and schools are ordering meals that go uneaten.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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