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
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
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Xi’s predecessor Jiang Zemin, who served as president between 1993 and 2003, was known for his flamboyant personality, cosmopolitan flair and willingness to show off his language skills and interact with journalists.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
PCMAG, 1 Mar. 2025
Feast On Local Delights In Fort-de-France, welcoming local food shacks and easy-going eateries reign, offering simple but delicious and affordable eats that show-off the region’s best recipes.
—Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for show off
Verb
Njoku said, showing off his custom jewelry.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Xi’s predecessor Jiang Zemin, who served as president between 1993 and 2003, was known for his flamboyant personality, cosmopolitan flair and willingness to show off his language skills and interact with journalists.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
Otherwise, this is a visually stunning chassis that will satisfy patient-building component show-offs.
—PCMAG, 1 Mar. 2025
Feast On Local Delights In Fort-de-France, welcoming local food shacks and easy-going eateries reign, offering simple but delicious and affordable eats that show-off the region’s best recipes.
—Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for show off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for show off
Verb
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Running or horsing around with sparklers can also cause injuries and burns when users trip and fall.—
Justin Laube,
EverydayHealth.com,
2 July 2025
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Heath Ryan, who represented Australia in dressage at the 2008 Olympics, can be seen in the video – which the rider said is about two years old – hitting a horse around 40 times.—
Matias Grez,
CNN Money,
13 June 2025
Verb
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The logo of Softbank is displayed at a press briefing on Softbank’s new service in Tokyo on January 15, 2018.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
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The posts only displayed a few users’ comments despite hundreds of messages.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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First up was Bevan, who talked about their work on F1, which began with the role of young hotshot Joshua Pearce.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
11 Oct. 2025
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Bateman also said that one member of the Bluth family wouldn't need a Hollywood hotshot to play him in the film.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Airlines also continue to cancel flights nationwide to meet FAA demands to cut up to 10% of flights within the next week.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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The chicken, now cut up into small pieces at the lunch hour, soaks up the broth and packs an even more flavorful punch.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Air Mail’s fate shows that even the masters of the old form faced major headwinds when trying to navigate the new media landscape.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Video shows one agent restraining the man, then dragging him around as another agent helps pin him to the ground.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Still, local lore, including online discussion threads, insists that the wise guy looms above the pews.—
Susan Mulcahy,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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And of course, the sci-fi comedy pic’s architect, Mel Brooks, is back, returning to his roles as Zen Yiddish wise guy Yogurt and President Skroob.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gisin hopes that by fooling around with measurements of these more exotic states, physicists will come to better understand the role of measurement in general.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
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Those have come from two players: Adrian Morejon of the San Diego Padres, who throws an odd knuckleball-changeup hybrid about 1 percent of the time, and Jonah Bride of the Minnesota Twins, an infielder fooling around with the knuckler in blowouts.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
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One form Asks whether the tree appears To exhibit a history of failures.—
MaKshya Tolbert,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Historically, researchers have relied on quasicrystals, the structures that exhibit mathematical order but never repeat, as the best candidates for isotropic bandgaps.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Show off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/show%20off. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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