1
as in to horse around
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
the athletes warmed up, happily showing off for the crowd before the match officially started
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to display
to present so as to invite notice or attention
she just wants to show off her new jewelry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hotshot
informal + disapproving
a person who tries to impress other people with his or her abilities or possessions
Related Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of show off
Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 1 June 2026
Rowan and Grier both inherited the modeling gene from their mama, showing off matching Aerie swimsuits in a June 2021 photo.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 31 May 2026
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 11 May 2025
Otherwise, this is a visually stunning chassis that will satisfy patient-building component show-offs.
—PCMAG, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for show off
Verb
Grace Goodwin shows off hailstones that fell in the Denver area on Monday.
—Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 1 June 2026
Rowan and Grier both inherited the modeling gene from their mama, showing off matching Aerie swimsuits in a June 2021 photo.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 31 May 2026
Noun
In This Article Take It Easy With Greens Pick a Combo With Staying Power
Rely On Dependable Winners
The Three Rules of Container TLC
These summer show-off container gardens will brighten up any porch or patio all season long—even in the Southern heat.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 11 May 2025
Otherwise, this is a visually stunning chassis that will satisfy patient-building component show-offs.
—PCMAG, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for show off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for show off
Verb
-
Ortiz navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made a hard charge down the stretch.—
Stephen Whyno,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
-
Ortiz navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made a hard charge down the stretch.—
Stephen Whyno,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Designed for fans and collectors, this innovative accessory folds completely flat to display a character-specific Bounty Hunter ID.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
2 June 2026
-
Fusing magnetic spontaneity and attention to detail, Y’all Won displays the consistency at the center of Veeze’s output, even when his hand is forced.—
Matthew Ritchie,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The Waves’ young hotshot, Dyson Gibbs (Uche Agada), steps on the toes of the team’s longtime star, Marcus Winfield (Toby Sandeman).—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
-
What happens when two of Thailand’s most celebrated culinary hotshots join forces?—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Instead of dwelling in doubt, cut up paper and throw it around.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
Firefighting crews worked Monday to cool residual heat and prevent hot spots from causing reignition, using chainsaws to fell and cut up hazardous trees, inspecting each section for heat and using hoses to extinguish any remaining embers.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Helicopter footage captured by NBC4 showed police tape cordoning off a section of the residential street, where a large number of emergency responders were gathered.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
-
Prosecutors charged Pineda-Ticas with murder, but that count was dropped as part of the plea deal, court records show.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
The wise guys already view Denver suspiciously, casting them with the 12th-best odds to reach the Super Bowl next February.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Framing wise guys on murder charges for Whitey Bulger, looking the other way on a gangland hit by a BPD detective in Canton in 1976, the list of scandals is too great to even list them all.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Another horny couple on vacation couldn’t wait until their flight landed to fool around and insisted on doing so in the plane's cabin.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
And this fool is taking it with the fools around him.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The service Park Hyatt Zurich staffers are the perfect example of Swiss hospitality, knowledgeable and exhibiting just the right amount of interaction with guests.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Most recently, late neoliberalism revived a central aspect of 1970s pluralism, retooled as representative diversity—once again under the pressure of political activism, which reckoned with decades of racially exclusionary collecting, exhibiting, and hiring practices at art institutions.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Show off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/show%20off. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
