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
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
Officers met community members and showed off equipment like police cars, and kids ate ice cream sandwiches and played in a bounce house.
—Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 11 May 2025
Otherwise, this is a visually stunning chassis that will satisfy patient-building component show-offs.
—PCMAG, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for show off
Verb
This graceful tree looks its best if allowed to grow into a natural shape that shows off its delicate form and beautiful bark.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
Officers met community members and showed off equipment like police cars, and kids ate ice cream sandwiches and played in a bounce house.
—Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
In This Article Take It Easy With Greens Pick a Combo With Staying Power
Rely On Dependable Winners
The Three Rules of Container TLC
These summer show-off container gardens will brighten up any porch or patio all season long—even in the Southern heat.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 11 May 2025
Otherwise, this is a visually stunning chassis that will satisfy patient-building component show-offs.
—PCMAG, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for show off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for show off
Verb
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Bevel was horsing around with the Reverend James Orange and Andy Young in the courtyard under King's balcony, according to Orange.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
-
But Andrew continued to live at the home and was often seen riding his horse around Windsor Great Park and photographed waving to crowds.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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California’s deserts are bursting with color as strong wildflower displays sprout across the fields of Southern California.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
During the alleged robbery, a masked man allegedly entered the store, displayed a handgun and demanded money from the store employee, police said.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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When Choi Seon-chul, a hotshot at a rival paper firm says he's swamped at work, Man-su tells him to faint so the higher-ups will hire Man-su to help divvy up the work.—
Sarah Jackson,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2026
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This early moment in mid-February belongs to Benge, the 23-year-old hotshot prospect who has a chance at cracking the Mets’ roster.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At one point, a member of the Revolutionary Guard came over to cut up Khamenei’s breakfast meat.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Her voice is intimate and resonant, whether cut up into indistinct background flurries or pushed to the front of the mix.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The results showed that women eventually diagnosed with either of these two conditions — 849 with mild cognitive impairment and 752 with dementia — had larger amounts of p-tau217 in their initial blood sample way back in the mid-to-late 1990s.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Phillip Hayes, the attorney for Song, said there is evidence that shows the bullet that struck Lt.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The wise guys already view Denver suspiciously, casting them with the 12th-best odds to reach the Super Bowl next February.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Framing wise guys on murder charges for Whitey Bulger, looking the other way on a gangland hit by a BPD detective in Canton in 1976, the list of scandals is too great to even list them all.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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Bella Ramsey takes a break from killing zombies and avenging father figures, their usual pastimes in series The Last of Us, to fool around and fall in love in Sunny Dancer, a decidedly uneven but fitfully charming, YA-skewed British comedy-drama.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Air may exhibit more wow factor, and the Pro models have more advanced camera systems, but the iPhone 17 is our Editors' Choice winner and the best iPhone for most people.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
-
This show features the largest number of artists ever to exhibit.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Show off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/show%20off. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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