To appear suddenly, unexpectedly, or from nowhere.
To appear suddenly when you weren't expecting it.
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
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.
Of a person, to arrive or appear somewhere unexpectedly.
"My old school friend popped up at the reunion completely out of the blue."
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."
'Pop' conveys a sudden, light sound or movement; 'up' indicates upward appearance — together evoking something springing into view.
To appear suddenly when you weren't expecting it.
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.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "pop up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.