SHOW OFF Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

show off 1 of 2

verb

Definition of show off

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

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

In a photo posted to her Instagram account on August 8, the mom of three showed off her toned muscles while rocking a resistance band and balancing her hands on a set of free weights. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 8 Aug. 2026 Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, posted a video where their seniors showed off their nostalgic backpacks for the new school year. — Melissa Willets, Parents, 8 Aug. 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

Verb

After horsing around, peruse the quilt displays, agriculture exhibits and arts-and-crafts competitions.

— Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 4 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of horse around

Verb

Gas prices are displayed at a Valero gas station on July 21, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
Rural locations showed little change, while cities outside the path — even those that experienced a very deep partial solar eclipse — did not display the same seismic pattern.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of display

Noun

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
Adapted from Elle Kennedy’s novels of the same name and following a group of friends at the fictional Briar University, Season 1 is about Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli), a young hockey hotshot and Hannah Wells (Ella Bright), a bubbly music major.

— Arushi Jacob, Variety, 22 June 2026

Definition of hotshot

Verb

Sporting Kansas City joined the vanquished Galaxy and Real Salt Lake on Saturday as LAFC cut up the last-place team in the Western Conference, 4-0.

— Josh Gross, Daily News, 26 July 2026
Use leftover cheese scraps, cut up, in pasta salad, melted in macaroni and cheese, or add to snack boxes.

— Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2026

Definition of cut up

Verb

The odds of a rate increase have ticked lower since last week, however, when a lackluster jobs report showed the labor market had shifted into reverse.

— Max Zahn, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Aside from the team information, shown below is each game’s rating, the probability of the favorite winning, the median score for each team and the median margin of victory for the favorite.

— Loren Maxwell, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of show

Noun

The show follows Chickie (Pompeo) and Doreen, two estranged half-sisters who are both struggling to get by when their wise guy dad unexpectedly kicks the bucket.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 July 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

In 2020, scientists found that combining snail slime from a common garden snail with gold nanoparticles helped accelerate wound healing and exhibited anti-inflammatory properties in mice.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
Because disappearing is much harder in the age of mass surveillance, crime writers often turn to deception, said Stuart, a contributor to the Cyber Detectives exhibit at San Jose’s The Tech Interactive museum.

— Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of exhibit

Browse Nearby Words

shown up (for)

show off

show-off

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“Show off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/show%20off. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of show off

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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