1
as in cuts 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
Relevance
2
as in displays
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
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 shows off
GloRilla shows off her large array of tattoos in a completely open-back dress at the 52nd AMAs in Las Vegas on May 25.
—
People Staff, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
The 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jack White shows off the skill that earned him his enshrinement, at Brooklyn Paramount (July 11-12).
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
Jelly tends to be sweeter and more gel-like than jam, with a translucent finish that shows off the fruit's natural color.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Jin shows off his mesmerizing, masterful knife skills.
—Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026
At the beginning of her music video, Latto shows off her baby bump, a nursery, and includes home videos from her childhood.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
In the next video, shared on Thursday, Crowe proudly shows off his new watch.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026
His point was that the abundant regeneration that Hanson shows off represents scorch, where heat opened the cones to release the multitude of seeds.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Here’s another impressive save from that same game, in which Bobrovsky shows off all of these details.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
People Staff, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
The 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jack White shows off the skill that earned him his enshrinement, at Brooklyn Paramount (July 11-12).
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
Jelly tends to be sweeter and more gel-like than jam, with a translucent finish that shows off the fruit's natural color.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Jin shows off his mesmerizing, masterful knife skills.
—Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026
At the beginning of her music video, Latto shows off her baby bump, a nursery, and includes home videos from her childhood.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
In the next video, shared on Thursday, Crowe proudly shows off his new watch.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026
His point was that the abundant regeneration that Hanson shows off represents scorch, where heat opened the cones to release the multitude of seeds.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Here’s another impressive save from that same game, in which Bobrovsky shows off all of these details.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shows off
Verb
-
The new congressional map in Virginia effectively cuts up the state’s 11 House districts to give Democrats an advantage in 10 of them.—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
-
How to Prune Viburnum Use sharp hand pruners for smaller cuts up to the diameter of a pencil, and loppers or a pruning saw for larger cuts.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Fahd Abu Haikal, 41 displays a mobile photo of his seven month old Palestinian baby boy Sam.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
-
Many of their performances are blasphemous, and their work only displays hate and mockery of Catholics and the Christian faith.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Ortiz navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made a hard charge down the stretch.—
Stephen Whyno,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
In this state, CO2 exhibits properties of both a liquid and a gas.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
-
Though Microsoft’s valuation reflects a discount to its historical mean, the wider software sector exhibits other notable pricing irregularities.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Koutouvides transitioned to life after football, found success in real estate development throughout Connecticut, but the pain of losing the Super Bowl twinges and acts up like an old joint injury.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
-
But if your transmission acts up or your steering system goes haywire, car insurance won't help you.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
An electronic display shows the closing KOSPI index inside the lobby of the Korea Exchange in Seoul, South Korea, on June 1, 2026.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
-
But blacklisting a company for maintaining civil rights protections, and then banning the military deployment of its AI hours later, shows that the federal government in this instance enables the harm that regulation is meant to prevent.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Sarah Pidgeon flashes a sweet smile at the opening night of the new musical Girl, Interrupted on June 4 in New York City.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
-
The front of the doorbell holds the call button, an LED ring that flashes blue when the button is pressed or white during a firmware update, an ambient light sensor, two infrared LEDs, and a microphone.—
John R. Delaney,
PC Magazine,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
While season 1 unveils the cult's origins and delves into the involvement of major key players (including Smallville actress Allison Mack, who, in July 2023, was released a year early from her three-year sentencing), season 2 shifts its focus to Raniere's court trial.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
-
Victoria’s Secret unveils earnings Tuesday morning with that new VSXY ticker.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shows off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shows%20off. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
