AAAmerican Accent US

come up

No object

This verb takes no object at all.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: come UP. Saying “COME up” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

Link across the gap. The final /m/ of “come” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “come up” is said “co-mup”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.

2 meanings

  1. 1

    (Of a topic or problem) to arise.

    • “Her name came up twice in the meeting.”
    • “Something came up and I had to cancel.”

    Similar: arise, crop up

  2. 2

    To approach someone.

    • “A stranger came up and asked for directions.”

    Similar: approach

The particle logic

up

Something is finished, raised, improved, or brought together.

Listen + practice

Hear “come up” spoken naturally

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More COME phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

come across

To find or meet something by chance.

come up with

To produce or invent an idea or solution.

come back

To return to a place.

come down with

To start to have an illness, usually a minor one.

come over

To visit someone's home.

come out

To become known or be published.

come in

To enter a place.

come along

To accompany someone.

come around

To change your mind and accept something.

come off

To become detached.

come apart

To fall into pieces.

come between

To damage the relationship between two people.

come up — meaning, examples & how to say it