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pop up

B1 informal inseparable intransitive
In simple words

To appear suddenly when you weren't expecting it.

Literal meaning: 'Pop' conveys a sudden, light sound or movement; 'up' indicates upward appearance — together evoking something springing into view.

Meanings

1 B1 idiomatic informal

To appear suddenly and unexpectedly, often without warning.

"A message popped up on my screen asking me to restart the computer."

"Opportunities don't often come along. So, when they do, you have to grab them."

Grammar: inseparable
2 B1 idiomatic informal

Of a person, to arrive or appear somewhere unexpectedly.

"My old school friend popped up at the reunion completely out of the blue."

Grammar: inseparable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral

Of a topic, problem, or idea, to arise or come up, often at an inconvenient time.

"The same issue keeps popping up in our team meetings — we need to resolve it."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

Extremely common in everyday English on both sides of the Atlantic. Used for people, problems, opportunities, digital notifications, and physical objects that appear suddenly. The adjective/noun 'pop-up' (as in a pop-up restaurant or pop-up window) derives from this phrasal verb.

Commonly used with

notification window problem issue idea suddenly

Forms

Base
pop up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pops up
he/she/it
Past simple
poped up
yesterday
Past participle
poped up
have + pp
-ing form
poping up
continuous

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