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turn up
verb
(intr) to arrive or appear
he turned up late at the party
to find or be found, esp by accident
his book turned up in the cupboard
(tr) to increase the flow, volume, etc, of
to turn up the radio
informal, (tr) to cause to vomit
noun
US and Canadian name: cuff. (often plural) the turned-up fold at the bottom of some trouser legs
informal, an unexpected or chance occurrence
Idioms and Phrases
Increase the volume, speed, intensity, or flow of, as in Turn up the air conditioning; it's too hot in here . [Late 1800s]
Find or be found, as in She turned up the missing papers , or Your coat turned up in the closet .
Appear, arrive, as in His name turns up in the newspaper now and then , or Some old friends turned up unexpectedly . [c. 1700] This usage gave rise to turn up like a bad penny , meaning that something unwanted constantly reappears, as in Ken turns up like a bad penny whenever there's free liquor. Bad here alludes to a counterfeit coin.
Fold or be capable of being folded, as in I'll just turn up the hem , or He preferred cuffs that turn up . [c. 1600]
Happen unexpectedly, as in Something turned up so I couldn't go to the play . Also see the following idioms beginning with turn up .
Example Sentences
"Ricky was much loved by so many in Greater Manchester. He was the kind of person who would always turn up for people, supporting so many causes," Burnham posted on X.
He turned up six miles away at a Denny’s, badly confused.
Across the room stood Amy Coney Barrett, the high court’s youngest member, who could hardly have picked a more dramatic moment to turn up.
"You would spend many hours just waiting for him to turn up," he said, alongside a picture of what appears to be Lord Mandelson looking out at a garden from a balcony.
Previous research on links between psychiatric drug use and mass shootings has failed to turn up evidence of causation.
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