show up
To arrive at a place, or to make something or someone look bad by being much better.
Meanings
To arrive at a place or event, especially unexpectedly, late, or when one was not sure the person would come.
"We waited for two hours, but he never showed up."
"I showed up at Malia's and Sasha's door right after Santa."
— Barack Obama, White House press briefing, December 2011
To become visible or to make something visible, especially a flaw or contrast.
"The UV light showed up the fingerprints on the surface."
"The ultrasound showed up a cyst on her kidney."
— The Guardian (2014)
To make someone look foolish or inferior, especially by doing something better than them.
"She showed everyone up by solving the puzzle in under a minute."
One of the most common phrasal verbs in everyday English. Sense 1 (arrive) is intransitive and inseparable. Sense 2 (make visible) is usually intransitive or intransitive-passive. Sense 3 (embarrass/outshine) is transitive and separable. Used widely in both American and British English.
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Forms
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Synonyms
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