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.
Now rate cuts are on hold, and as the rise in wholesale prices show, there’s still plenty of inflation in the guts of the economy that’s likely to show up later in the year.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
Those teams’ scores can show up in my lock screen as Live Activities, or they can not.
From Slate • Jun. 10, 2026
"But it's pretty cool he wants to show up and be a part of it."
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Especially after 5,000 of your neighbors show up for the housewarming party.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
The Times was to show up in court by noon.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
