show up

Short definition: The phrase show up means to arrive at a place or event, often unexpectedly or after being expected, indicating presence and participation.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the phrasal verb show up? This is a very common expression in everyday English and it can appear in casual conversations, work situations, and social plans. It usually refers to arriving somewhere or appearing at a place, but it can also describe someone performing well, revealing something, or making another person look bad by comparison. Because it can be used both literally and figuratively, the meaning depends on the context of the conversation. Below are detailed meanings with realistic examples so you can clearly understand how show up works in daily English.

Forms: show up, shows up, showed up, shown up, showing up
Related: appear v., arrive v., reveal v., attend v.
Syllable: show-up

1. (Verb) To arrive at a place or event.

   To show up most commonly means arriving somewhere, especially when your presence is expected or noticed by others.

   He promised he would show up at the meeting on time.
   Only a few people showed up to the event because of the rain.
   She was relieved when her friend finally showed up at the airport.

   Synonyms: arrive, appear, turn up, attend, come, reach destination, make an appearance, come along, step in, present oneself, come by, enter scene
   Antonyms: miss event, stay away, skip, avoid attending, fail to appear, remain absent, disappear, withdraw, neglect to attend, stay home, back out, not come

2. (Verb) To become visible or noticeable.

   Show up can also describe something becoming visible, noticeable, or easy to see, especially when it was not obvious before.

   The stain didn’t show up until the fabric dried.
   Small mistakes often show up during careful review.
   His hard work finally showed up in the results.

   Synonyms: appear clearly, become visible, emerge, stand out, reveal itself, surface, become noticeable, come into view, be detected, manifest, become evident, come forward
   Antonyms: disappear, remain hidden, stay invisible, fade away, conceal, mask, hide, blur, vanish, become unclear, remain unnoticed, stay covered

3. (Verb) To perform well or demonstrate ability when needed.

   In another sense, show up can describe someone performing well or proving themselves when the moment matters.

   The team really showed up during the final match.
   She always shows up when her friends need support.
   He showed up as a strong leader during the crisis.

   Synonyms: perform well, deliver results, step up, rise to occasion, prove ability, stand out, demonstrate skill, succeed under pressure, come through, shine, excel, fulfill role
   Antonyms: fail, disappoint, fall short, perform poorly, let others down, miss opportunity, struggle, collapse under pressure, underperform, falter, lose focus, give weak effort

4. (Verb) To embarrass someone by looking better than them.

   Show up can sometimes mean making another person look embarrassed or less capable by performing noticeably better than they do.

   His confident presentation completely showed up the other speakers.
   The experienced player showed up the newcomers easily.
   She didn’t mean to show him up, but her skills were obvious.

   Synonyms: embarrass, outshine, outclass, outperform, overshadow, outdo, make look weak, surpass, dominate performance, expose weakness, outmatch, defeat clearly
   Antonyms: support, assist, encourage, lift up, cooperate, share spotlight, equalize, respect ability, complement, collaborate, help succeed, stand alongside