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.
The turn will instead show up in two things the Fed’s rate-setting committee is expected to produce.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
“One of the things that we’ve been focused on is really how to show up in the community,” said Andrew Medina, general manager of Meow Wolf Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
Even if you’ve never heard of him before, what he says and what the Fed does will eventually show up in your wallet.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
In New York City, where the cakes are sold on select days in the Upper East Side’s Butterfield Market, people continue to show up in droves, lining up hours before the cakes are even stocked.
From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026
The few who did show up fled at the sight of the British troops.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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.
