crop up — arise unexpectedly (figurative)
to appear or happen suddenly or unexpectedly, especially when it causes a change of plan or needs attention.
Say it like a native
Textbook An unexpected matter has arisen that requires my attention.
Native Something's cropped up — I'll have to deal with it.
'Crop up' is the everyday verb for things popping up unexpectedly; the formal version is stilted in speech.
Pattern: crop up (often with problems/issues/questions/opportunities)
In use
- I was planning to leave early, but a few urgent issues cropped up at the last minute.daily life
- In my experience, unexpected challenges often crop up when working in a team, so it's important to stay flexible.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ If any problem crops up to you, call me.
✓ If any problems crop up, call me.
'Crop up' is intransitive — things just 'crop up', they don't 'crop up to' someone.
Common collocations
crop up + issue— a problem, something, now and then, unexpectedly
Don't confuse it
'Crop up' is different from the literal meaning of 'crop' (to cut plants) and is used only in the figurative sense of something appearing or happening unexpectedly. It is more informal and conversational than 'arise', and more specific than 'come up', which can be used for both expected and unexpected events.