show off 1 of 2

verb

Definition of show offnext
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

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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

show-off

2 of 2

noun

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
Verb
CliffEdge will take some shows off Drama Productions’ hands such as The Detection Club, Silent Witness, Father Brown and Shakespeare and Hathaway, while the Kate Oates-run Drama Productions will continue making soaps and continuing drama. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026 On a recent tour of Wildflower, Gordon shows off a giant lazy Susan-like metal platform outside the studio. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
But there’s value to the subtle, occasional mention of an appropriate insider name, a gesture that’s more like a secret handshake than the work of an oafish show-off. — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 25 Nov. 2025 Luxury can sometimes be interpreted as someone, who is a show-off. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for show off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for show off
  1. horse around
  2. display
  3. hotshot
  4. cut up
  5. show
  6. wise guy
  7. fool around
  8. exhibit
Verb
  • Also, don’t get too out of control horsing around with friends in the water.
    — John Natale, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026
  • According to McGrady, the only royal who didn’t enjoy the time away in the Highlands was the late Princess Diana, who didn’t fit in with the family’s outdoorsy vibes and didn’t enjoy riding horses around the property due to a fall as a child.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of horse around
Verb
  • The real treasures, though, are displayed inside the museum-style glass concierge desk, where artifacts from the original hotel are on loan from the Naples Historical Society.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Schmitt and Klobuchar butt heads Staffers for Schmitt briefly displayed a poster of the text message exchange, but quickly took it down before Smith could read it.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of display
Noun
  • Next, ground crews, including the Navajo hotshots, will start hand and aerial ignitions, the department said.
    — Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Fans who gush over the next big thing too often forget that many young hotshots turn out to be something less.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of hotshot
Verb
  • Rifkin also open a bag containing Machado’s black bra and purple T-shirt, both of which were cut up by scissors.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Duke Energy crews are working to cut up the tree and replace the pole, officials said.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of cut up
Verb
  • Footage shared online shows Reeves losing himself to the song from a private box.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded this month to around their highest level since the war began in February, Kpler data showed.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of show
Noun
  • Chalfant plays Aunt Sister Donna of Compassionate Trinity, Chickie and Doreen’s paternal aunt, who is mean as spit and tougher than any wise guy on the block.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Here’s a look at what each team in the NFC North has done in free agency, and how the wise guys in Las Vegas currently rank the division.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of wise guy
Verb
  • As Marshall and Alice consider one another and then start to fool around, the sequence feels organic and dangerous without being forced.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of fool around
Verb
  • People with eating disorders may exhibit compulsive behaviors around both exercise and eating, including working out for multiple hours every day and carefully calculating every aspect of their diet.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • These systems are exhibiting group behaviors that cannot be explained as a swarm.
    — Michael Morris, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhibit

Browse Nearby Words

shown up (for)
show off
show-off
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Cite this Entry

“Show off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/show%20off. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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