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show up
show someone up
to make someone's faults or shortcomings apparent. John is always trying to show someone up to make himself look better. John's excellent effort really showed up Bill, who didn't try very hard at all.
show up
to appear; to arrive. Where is John? I hope he shows up soon. When will the bus show up? Weeds began to show up in the garden.
show up
1. to arrive for a gathering or event We waited all day and he never showed up. Demonstrators also have regularly shown up in front of her home.
2. to appear or be seen
The virus does not show up in blood tests. Related vocabulary:
come up show somebody up
to do something that embarrasses someone or makes them seem stupid He's always boasting about how much money he's earned – like he's trying to show you up.
show up
1. Be clearly visible, as in The print doesn't show up against this dark background. [Late 1800s]
2. Put in an appearance, arrive, as in I wonder if he'll show up at all. [Late 1800s]
3. Expose or reveal the true character of, as in This failure showed up their efforts as a waste of time. [Early 1800s]
4. Also, show someone up. Surpass someone in ability, outdo someone, as in John's high score on that math test really showed up the rest of the class. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]
show up
v.1. To be clearly visible: Will the blue pencil marks show up in the photocopy?
2. To make an appearance; arrive: Everyone was waiting for the bride to show up.
3. To expose or reveal the true character or nature of someone or something: The other group's success showed up their efforts as a waste of time. I showed the challenger up as a braggart.
4. To surpass someone or something, as in ability or intelligence: The students were always trying to show up the teacher with a fact she didn't know. After his performance, a virtuoso came out on stage and showed him up.