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

See Examples For:

show up

So, guys, this is it - this is the next England match you play to the fullest, you show up with the right attitude, and you give it your all, because you never know.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

“You don’t just show up to someone’s party and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to hold my own party, too,’” he said in Spanish.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

“I think that’ll show up as less-than-robust demand on the housing side.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

When people will show up to see a movie regardless of its content or quality, filmmakers can cut all the corners they want.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

The morning of the rally, everybody met at our house, mostly because Brent Chisholm was expected to show up and no one could resist the chance to get an early, in-person peek at him.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Related Words

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