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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This conviction—that those in Indigenous or traditional communities live more simply and thus more authentically—would crop up again and again in Matthiessen’s writing. Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 Focusing on those costly mistakes is only natural given the result, but other concerning aspects of recent performances cropped up again. Art De Roché, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025 Another issue that cropped up frequently last season also left Lee a tad annoyed. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2025 The oldest date to the mid-19th century, while newer enclaves only cropped up in recent decades or, like Toronto’s, relocated from elsewhere in the post-World War II era. Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crop up

Word History

Etymology

Note: See note at crop entry 2

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crop up was in 1844

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crop up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crop%20up. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on crop up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!