show up

No object

This verb takes no object at all.

How to say it

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

A glide appears. Two vowels meet, so American English slips a /w/ between them: “show up” → “show-wup”. You do not insert it deliberately — it falls out of not stopping between the words.

2 meanings

1
To arrive, often late or unexpectedly.
- “The guest speaker is expected to show up around 10am.”
- “Half the team never showed up.”
Similar: turn up, appear
2
To make someone else look bad by comparison.
- “He showed everyone up with that presentation.”
Similar: outshine

Don’t confuse it with

show offTo display your abilities or possessions in order to impress.

Show UP is arriving. Show OFF is displaying your abilities to impress people.

The particle logic

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

Listen + practice

Hear “show up” spoken naturally

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