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
Blount and Alverson are eager to show off their university to Saturday’s attendees. — Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2026 Jackie Tranquill, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill, showed off her prize — a Chanel handbag worth $6,700 — in an Instagram Story after the wedding. — Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 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
  • 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
  • Renovated in 2005 at a cost of $8 million, the intimate 17-room hotel displays the trappings of Europe’s grandest hotels, starting with an impressive foyer with a Murano glass chandelier shaped like Constantin Brancusi’s infinity column.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In this photo illustration, the logo of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is displayed on a smartphone in front of abstract background on computer screen.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 4 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
  • As the mastermind behind the Hollywood hair of stars like Stone, Lily Collins, and Zoe Saldaña — and the founder of Rōz Hair — her styling fingerprints decorate awards show red carpets and Instagram feeds alike.
    — Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Video from his dash camera shows the aircraft gliding under a highway sign, missing it by mere feet, before touching down in the empty lanes.
    — Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 4 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
  • 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
  • Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.
    — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 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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Cite this Entry

“Show off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/show%20off. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on show off

Nglish: Translation of show off for Spanish Speakers

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