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

---

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]

---

Example Sentences

Money from the “Big Berlin Bill”—as Deutsche Bank called it—has yet to show up in a meaningful way.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

Apple’s AI investments show up more clearly in their research and development operating expenses, as it works to update its own features.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

“We see a risk that the big three could revert to loss-making” in the second quarter, which is when the cost surge in March will show up, DBS said in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

“The U.S. energy system has a buffer, but it doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Global tightness and domestic bottlenecks still show up in gasoline prices,” Babin said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

And now I wasn’t going to show up.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

Related Words

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