1
as in cutting up
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 displaying
to present so as to invite notice or attention
she just wants to show off her new jewelry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of showing off
On March 2—one day before debuting her new pageboy bob at Paris Fashion Week—Hadid made her grand entrance in a pair of straight-leg jeans that stop well above the ankle, showing off much of her beige crew sock and the entire tongue of her black loafers.
—
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 7 Mar. 2026
Nadella wrote in an October X post showing off the abiltiy to toggle between Anthropic and OpenAI models in Microsoft 365 Copilot.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
And right now, Echinus is showing off.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 4 Mar. 2026
Prior to departing on Friday looking for points in 12 consecutive regular-season away games dating to last year, LAFC looked sharp in training, showing off the depth of its squad during short-field drills requiring quick decisions and ball movement.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
The clip continues with Rihanna decking out an umbrella with sparkles and faux fur before bedazzling a pair of jeans, then wraps with Riot showing off the finished costume.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
Many of these hobbyists are showing off their finds on social media.
—Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
Beyoncé sent the internet in a frenzy after showing off her long natural hair and her own wash day routine using Cécred hair products.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
The 10,224-square-foot Charlotte location overlooks the core of the city’s biggest business district, with a 2,000-square-foot terrace showing off those stunning views.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 7 Mar. 2026
Nadella wrote in an October X post showing off the abiltiy to toggle between Anthropic and OpenAI models in Microsoft 365 Copilot.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
And right now, Echinus is showing off.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 4 Mar. 2026
Prior to departing on Friday looking for points in 12 consecutive regular-season away games dating to last year, LAFC looked sharp in training, showing off the depth of its squad during short-field drills requiring quick decisions and ball movement.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
The clip continues with Rihanna decking out an umbrella with sparkles and faux fur before bedazzling a pair of jeans, then wraps with Riot showing off the finished costume.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
Many of these hobbyists are showing off their finds on social media.
—Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
Beyoncé sent the internet in a frenzy after showing off her long natural hair and her own wash day routine using Cécred hair products.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
The 10,224-square-foot Charlotte location overlooks the core of the city’s biggest business district, with a 2,000-square-foot terrace showing off those stunning views.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for showing off
Verb
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Meanwhile, as all of this is happening, Meredith is cutting up with the other ladies at the spa, without a care in the world.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
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Ford is planning on cutting up to 1,000 roles in electric-vehicle production in Germany.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There has been widespread GNSS spoofing and AIS manipulation, where tankers are digitally hijacked and tricked into displaying false coordinates that lead them into restricted territorial waters for seizure.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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Nine total jawbones emerged over time, each displaying that same unmistakable twist.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
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
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In April 2020, Iglesias shared a video of him horsing around with Lucy and Nicholas as the pair attempted to climb on his back for a ride.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The whole hall was dark, lit only by flashing green strobe lights from the stage.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Speed cameras near Florida schools can issue $100 violations whether or not yellow warning lights are flashing — a rule that has caught many drivers off guard.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Explosions were reported in the eastern and western parts of the capital with dramatic footage showing Tehran’s Mehrabad airport on fire.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
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In footage played in court showing the women following an unmarked vehicle, they can be heard discussing their plan to observe an ICE raid.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bruce, as the stunt shark built to menace them is nicknamed, is acting up and delaying the acting itself.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, the guests, who have literally just arrived five minutes ago, are already acting up.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a lengthy and apologetic statement, Altman claimed that OpenAI was now altering the terms of its Pentagon deal to explicitly prohibit the use of its AI systems to surveil US citizens, exhibiting a degree of people-pleasing normally witnessed in its sycophantic chatbots.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
5 Mar. 2026
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Louise Trotter’s second runway collection for Bottega Veneta rooted in Milanese Brutalism was a stunning example of her visual artistry while exhibiting an extraordinary use of material.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
2 Mar. 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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The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Showing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/showing%20off. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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