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
• show
• unfold
• come

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

And once momentum kicks in, keep showing up and amplifying your presence without hesitation. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025

That matters — but the long game is ensuring the next wave of employees doesn’t show up already depleted. —Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2025

Gotham City Police haven't shown up in Detroit, but the Bat Signal will light up the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center this week to celebrate Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Batman 1989 concert. —Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 23 July 2025

Kopelman says that this is partly because CSU doesn’t show up on standard allergy tests and the symptoms can mimic those of several other conditions. —Taylor Lane, Flow Space, 23 July 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.