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
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Recent Examples of show off
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 June 2026
Born in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, the young Greenspan was a math whiz who was trotted out by his mother to show off for visitors.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 22 June 2026
Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for show off
Verb
Austria’s best chances came on a corner kick in the 55th minute that challenged goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who was able to show off his length by bringing in the save.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 June 2026
Born in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, the young Greenspan was a math whiz who was trotted out by his mother to show off for visitors.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 22 June 2026
Noun
Luxury can sometimes be interpreted as someone, who is a show-off.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025
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
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
-
The purpose of the rule is to prevent players from displaying any political or social messaging, but freedom of religion falls under the first amendment, which was Hawley’s argument, and others, all along.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 June 2026
-
When not displaying geyser-like activity, the pool was actively boiling.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
23 June 2026
Noun
-
Gao and his three cofounders aren’t your conventional AI hotshots with credentials from leading AI labs or Stanford University.—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
-
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
Verb
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Its asymmetrical riff on the classic bucket hat takes the usual cut up a notch.—
Gretta Monahan,
Boston Herald,
18 June 2026
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The new non-stop flights will cut up to four hours off travel time compared to current one-stop services.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Moderate exercise has been shown to improve learning among students from elementary school through young adulthood, and the effects on attention, memory and executive function are well-documented, pediatricians say.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
On the final stop on the tour, the Markley people wanted to show the emergency generators that neighbors have complained about.—
David Wade,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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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
-
Rowe, a Bloomfield senior, and White, an assistant coach, had noticed the fight the young runners exhibited during the race.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
22 June 2026
-
By this definition, a great many species exhibit some version of gender fluidity.—
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Show off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/show%20off. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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