crop up

verb

cropped up; cropping up; crops up

intransitive verb

: to come or appear when not expected

New problems crop up every day.

His name crops up frequently as a potential candidate.

Examples of crop up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead of setting Orion up for an insertion into lunar orbit, the free-return trajectory will loop the spacecraft once around the moon on a figure-eight flight path back to Earth, ensuring the crew's return regardless of Orion's propulsion status, should unexpected issues crop up during flight. —Josh Dinner, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2026

As a result, a new breed of data center, designed from the ground up for AI workloads, is cropping up across the country, from the wilds of Wyoming to the deserts of Arizona. —Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026

Worries crop up about donating or throwing away the wrong item and clothes piles can quickly accumulate on the floor. —Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 26 Jan. 2026

There are several notable recipes for 1-2-3-4 cake that have cropped up over the years, including James Beard’s family recipe for the cake, which didn’t strictly follow the namesake ratios. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Note: See note at crop entry 2

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for crop up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup