To produce, think of, or find something needed, such as an idea, plan, answer, or money.
To think of a new idea, or to find the money or answer that someone needs.
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To produce or think of an idea, plan, or solution.
"We need to come up with a better strategy before the next board meeting."
You've got to come up with something better than that.
— The West Wing, Season 1 (Aaron Sorkin, 1999)
To produce or find a required amount of money.
"They struggled to come up with the deposit for the apartment."
To produce an explanation, excuse, or answer when asked.
"When asked why he was late, he couldn't come up with a convincing excuse."
Extremely frequent in both spoken and written English. Very versatile: used for ideas, solutions, money, excuses, and plans. The object always follows 'with'. Cannot be separated.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "come up with" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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