show up

verb

showed up; shown up or showed up; showing up; shows up

transitive verb

1

: to expose or discredit especially by revealing faults

showed them up as frauds

… it showed him up for the irrelevant and offensive person he really is …

—Owen Bennett

2

: to embarrass or cause to look bad especially by comparison

trying to show up the boss

The offensive line has been sub par with the defensive line showing them up for at least a few days.

—James Anderson

3

: reveal

showed up my ignorance

intransitive verb

1

a

: arrive, appear

showed up late for his own wedding

Hundreds of tourists showed up, wearing bright sweaters, even though it was warm.

—Tony Earley

b

: to become involved with others and make an active contribution

But what we have to remind ourselves, and each other, is that our democracy only works for us if we show up.

—America Ferrera

also : to provide help and support for someone

If you're in a position to defend and protect someone who is a victim of abuse, then do it … Show up for them.

—Sa'iyda Shabazz

2

: to be plainly evident

… [Woody Hayes] cared so much about people. That showed up in the way he did things in the community, the way he lent his name to charity events.

—Kyle Rowland

Synonyms

• appear
• come out
• materialize
• show
• turn up
• unfold

Examples of show up in a Sentence

normally, one doesn't see them, but the actress's wrinkles show up in the close-ups

the band showed up an hour late

Recent Examples on the Web

That employee said men showed up this morning with a letter saying that Blanche was appointed the acting Librarian of Congress, Brian Nieves was appointed acting assistant librarian, and Paul Perkins was appointed the acting Register of Copyrights and Director of the Copyright Office. —Neda Ulaby, NPR, 12 May 2025

Post consistently without fear Building trust requires showing up regularly. —Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025

Watch these best friends show up in full costumes for their friend's doctor's appointment. —Allison Moses, USA Today, 12 May 2025

Anything can happen, said Ruben Enriquez, and just showing up to get some exercise and be with friends is a victory in itself. —Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for show up

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

Kids Definition

show up

verb

1

: to reveal the true nature of by uncovering faults : expose

were shown up for the fools they really are

2

: to be where one is expected to be : arrive

showed up on time

Legal Definition

showup

noun

show·​up

ˈshō-ˌəp

: a presentation of a criminal defendant or arrestee individually to a witness for identification compare lineup

Note: A showup identification may withstand a due process challenge when there is an emergency situation, when the presentation is accidental, or when otherwise the totality of the circumstances render it justifiable.