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

Red was the star of the show, cropping up throughout the presentation, paired with equally eye-catching blue sweaters, silky purple button-downs and impossibly short shorts. —Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025

Similar reports have cropped up on forums and Reddit in recent years, with users saying that their headphones refused to charge after six months or so. —PC Magazine, 4 July 2025

Here are a few more key stories on this topic: First Amendment reporter Angele Latham dove in to the free speech concerns that have cropped up around Tennessee's school threats law. —The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

The results pass the eye test, with some familiar names cropping up from our previous searches. —Thom Harris, New York Times, 21 June 2025

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