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.
“When it starts to get tough, you show up, you help, and if you add a little joy while you’re doing it, that’s so you know it’s even better.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Even if it took Pakistan two and a half matches to show up, England have still won three consecutive Tests after a previous run of two wins in 10.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
If I had to guess, this is very normal to her and will show up in other social scenarios should you continue a relationship.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
“I would love to just show up the day before and just play,” Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said, “but I’m not the best when it comes to the science and everything on that stuff.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
“She probably doesn’t. I mean who would have thought that some supernatural being was going to show up and save us because we sang her a song?”
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
