Come up — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb

Meaning & Definition of Come up

Come up (verb)

  1. rise
  2. to come near, make an approach
  3. to rise in rank or status

Come up (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to come near or nearer

    "the girl came up to the counter and asked if she could have her order prepared to go"

    similar: approach, belly up, close, close in, draw on, near, nigh
    related: arrive, attain, come, gain, hit, land, make, reach, show up, turn up, waltz (up), creep up, sneak up, adjoin, border, touch, verge
    opposite: back (up or away), recede, retire, retreat, withdraw
    near: clear out, depart, exit, go, leave, light out, pull out, quit, remove, run away, shove (off), take off, walk out

  2. to come to one's attention especially gradually or unexpectedly

    "let me know if anything else comes up during the project"

    similar: arise, crop (up), emerge, materialize, spring (up), surface
    related: appear, come out, show up, turn up, chance, come, come about, fall out, go (on), go off, hap, happen, occur, pass, transpire, interfere, interpose, intervene, intrude

Related Entry: Come up empty (phrase)

Come up empty is a different word from Come up. The synonyms below are for come up empty, not for come up.

  1. to be unsuccessful

    "We searched for a viable candidate but came up empty."

    similar: bomb, collapse, crater, fail, flame out, flop, flunk, fold, founder, miss, strike out, tank, wash out, come a cropper, come to grief, die on the vine, fall flat, fall on one's face, fall short, lay an egg
    related: flounder, struggle, decline, sink, skid, slip, slump, wane, crash, crumble, miscarry, misfire, go under, implode, self-destruct
    opposite: click, come off, deliver, go, go over, pan out, succeed, work out
    near: cook, flourish, prosper, thrive, prevail, triumph, win

Related Entry: Come up with (phrase)

Come up with is a different word from Come up. The synonyms below are for come up with, not for come up.

  1. to create or think of by clever use of the imagination

    "Everyone was asked to come up with at least three ideas before the end of the meeting."

    similar: concoct, construct, contrive, cook (up), devise, drum up, excogitate, fabricate, invent, make up, manufacture, think (up), trump up, vamp (up)
    related: coin, design, hatch, produce, daydream, dream, fantasize, conceive, envisage, envision, imagine, picture, vision, visualize, ad-lib, extemporize, improvise
    near: clone, copy, copycat, duplicate, imitate, mimic, reduplicate, replicate, reproduce

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Come up

The most common words with a similar meaning to Come up:

approach, belly up, close, close in, draw on, near, nigh, arise, crop (up), emerge, materialize, spring (up), surface

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Come up

Words with the opposite meaning of Come up:

back (up or away), recede, retire, retreat, withdraw

Related Words for Come up

arrive, attain, come, gain, hit, land, make, reach, show up, turn up, waltz (up), creep up, sneak up, adjoin, border, touch, verge, appear, come out, chance, come about, fall out, go (on), go off, hap, happen, occur, pass, transpire, interfere

Near Antonyms of Come up

clear out, depart, exit, go, leave, light out, pull out, quit, remove, run away, shove (off), take off, walk out

Word Forms of Come up

Inflections: came up, coming up, comes up

Origin & Etymology of Come up

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Come up

come up empty, come up with, come up against, come up dry, come up from/through the ranks, come up short, come up short of, come up to, come up with the goods

Frequently Asked Questions about Come up

What does "Come up" mean?

"Come up" means rise. As a verb, it is defined as: rise. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Come up"?

Other words for "Come up" include approach, belly up, close, close in, draw on, near, nigh and arise. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Come up" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Come up"?

There are 46 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Come up". Common alternatives include approach, belly up, close, close in, draw on, near, nigh, arise, crop (up) and emerge.

What is the opposite of "Come up"?

Antonyms of "Come up" include back (up or away), recede, retire, retreat and withdraw. Near antonyms include clear out, depart, exit and go.

How do you use "Come up" in a sentence?

Examples of "Come up" in a sentence: "the girl came up to the counter and asked if she could have her order prepared to go"; "let me know if anything else comes up during the project".

Is "Come up" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Come up" is a verb.

What is the origin of the word "Come up"?

First known use: before 12th century.

What is another word for "Come up" meaning "to come near or nearer"?

When "Come up" (verb) means to come near or nearer, synonyms include approach, belly up, close, close in, draw on and near. Opposites in this sense include back (up or away), recede, retire and retreat.