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
Catherine Santino, People.com, 27 June 2025
Go for a cropped and structured pair to show off your summer-ready sandals, or find a flowy, floor-length pants to pair with dress shoes.
—Catie Pusateri, Glamour, 26 June 2025
Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
This one-of-a-kind cultural exchange program invites visitors to come into the homes of vetted, welcoming locals, who are likewise looking to meet travelers and show-off what their country has to offer in a unique way — and maybe just make a few new lifelong friendships along the way.
—Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for show off
Verb
The momager wore her short hair in a flippy bob and sported a smoky makeup look — showing off the results of her recent facelift.
—Catherine Santino, People.com, 27 June 2025
Go for a cropped and structured pair to show off your summer-ready sandals, or find a flowy, floor-length pants to pair with dress shoes.
—Catie Pusateri, Glamour, 26 June 2025
Noun
This was my chance to not be an actor, not have that stink of being an actor, that egotistical, show-off, controlling, making choices, being clever part of being an actor.
—Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
This one-of-a-kind cultural exchange program invites visitors to come into the homes of vetted, welcoming locals, who are likewise looking to meet travelers and show-off what their country has to offer in a unique way — and maybe just make a few new lifelong friendships along the way.
—Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for show off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for show off
Verb
-
Umberto Rispoli squeezed between horses around the top of the stretch and then rode Journalism to a tremendous rally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
24 May 2025
-
Fayetteville Sad Palomino’s Will King releases a collection of home recordings In between horsing around with his longtime band Sad Palomino, Will King has been recording and trying to decide the best way to share songs, mostly written during winters from 2020 to 2025.—
Monica Hooper,
Arkansas Online,
25 May 2025
Verb
-
The bakery case displays the day’s dessert specials.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
25 June 2025
-
The Meta logo is displayed during the Viva Technology show at Parc des Expositions Porte de Versailles on May 22, 2024 in Paris, France.—
Kate Knibbs,
Wired News,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
There were additional engines, a hotshot crew and aircraft en route to the fire Wednesday evening.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
19 June 2025
-
But hotshot crews are assigned to the toughest parts of a fireline, and sometimes have to hike the farthest, or do the most grueling labor, tackle kind of the most dangerous assignment.—
Meredith Wolf Schizer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
Verb
-
Maria is a former basketball player for the University of New Orleans Maria cut up the court herself, as a Division I basketball player for the University of New Orleans from 1993 to 1996, per the Rutgers University website.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
25 June 2025
-
Video and phone recordings showed Frey cutting up a rubber glove, filling it with something and stuffing the package into an arrow shaft during a call with Smith.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
Brands are also showing interest in using LaundRE in their reshoring plans by importing garments from places like Bangladesh and Pakistan and finishing them locally in small quantities to reduce overbuying and waste.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
25 June 2025
-
While the salary cap had only increased by 5% since 2020, slides showed a 60% percent increase in signing bonuses and 42% increase in salary guarantees.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
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
-
As Molly and Guy start to fool around, things get hot and heavy, but Ernie has a job to do.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Along with being experts in the martial arts, many of the competitors exhibit supernatural abilities.—
Michileen Martin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
-
The 23-year-old exhibited multiple unforced errors from advantageous positions.—
Leon Imber,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Noun
-
Celebrity deaths 2025: Remembering the stars who've died this year Chris Robinson, 'General Hospital' and 'Bold and the Beautiful' star, dies at 86 His appearance in a single episode of Frasier, as wise guy Jerome Balasco, earned Yulin an Emmy nomination.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
11 June 2025
-
And for the most part, the wise guys weren't overly impressed with the Green Bay Packers’ offseason.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Show off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/show%20off. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share