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

After her mother died of pancreatic cancer in 2018, Fletcher's alters then started showing up in therapy – her mother's death gave her system permission to reveal truths about her childhood. —David Oliver, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024

Carp will often show up in short order to suck the pieces off the surface. —Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 25 Apr. 2024

That’s why Wedbush’s Ives said Musk needed to show up with his big boy pants on this time and act like an adult after his recent spate of poor performances that only unnerved investors. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024

That’s because most of what Adebayo does on the defensive end doesn’t usually show up in the box score unlike Gobert and Wembanyama, who both averaged more than two blocks per game this regular season. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024

When Malik Monk wore a Band-Aid on his cheek after scratching his face in a November 2022 game against the Golden State Warriors, thousands of fans showed up at Golden 1 Center wearing Band-Aids in a show of solidarity. —Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 23 Apr. 2024

Mustapha, who showed up for the Panthers’ local pro day, is a Charlotte native out of Wake Forest with sixth-round draft pick potential. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2024

Organizers said around 100 police officers showed up at the event Friday morning, but did not raise any concerns with them about the conference program. —Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024

It’s come in thinking about ways to show up and surround myself with people who genuinely care about liberatory practices. —Zahra Hankir, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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.