show up — arrive (especially unexpectedly or after being late)
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To arrive at a place, especially when you are expected or when you are late.
Say it like a native
Textbook He arrived at the venue at a notably late hour.
Native He showed up an hour late.
'Show up' is the casual spoken 'arrive'; the formal version is flat.
Pattern: show up (at/in/on [place/time])
In use
- He didn't show up to the meeting until it was almost over.daily life
- In my opinion, it's important to show up on time for job interviews because it creates a good first impression.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Nobody showed up on the meeting.
✓ Nobody showed up to/at the meeting.
Show up TO or AT an event, not 'on'.
Common collocations
show up— late, didn't show up, show up to, unannounced
Don't confuse it
'Show up' focuses on the act of arriving, not on making something visible.
Related
- show up (become visible or easy to notice) — Another meaning of 'show up' is 'become visible or easy to notice'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.