Definition

1. Verb (intransitive):
   • To move upward or ascend: To rise from a lower to a higher position or level.
   • To be mentioned or arise in discussion: To become a topic of conversation or consideration.
   • To occur or present itself: To happen, especially unexpectedly or as a problem.
   • To approach or move toward someone or something: To come near.
   • To originate or come into being: To begin to exist or be noticed.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • The sun will come up at 6 a.m. tomorrow. (To ascend)
  • Your name came up several times during the meeting. (To be mentioned)
  • An urgent matter has come up, so I need to leave. (To occur)
  • He came up to me and asked for directions. (To approach)
  • A strange smell came up from the basement. (To originate)

Advanced Usage

• "to come up with something": To produce, find, or suggest an idea, plan, or solution.
  • We need to come up with a better strategy.
• "to come up against something": To be faced with or opposed by a difficulty or challenge.
  • They came up against strong resistance to their proposal.
• "to come up for air": To take a short break from an intense activity.
  • After working for five hours straight, I need to come up for air.

Variants and Related Words

• Upcoming (adj): Happening or appearing soon.
  • The upcoming election is very important.
• Comeuppance (n): A punishment or fate that someone deserves, especially for arrogant or bad behavior.
  • The corrupt official finally got his comeuppance.

Synonyms

• Arise: To begin to occur or to become apparent.
• Surface: To rise to the surface or to become known.
• Approach: To come near or nearer to.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Come up to: To reach a particular standard or level.
  • His work doesn't come up to the required standard.
• Come up through: To advance or succeed by progressing through an organization or system.
  • She came up through the ranks to become CEO.

Related Idioms

• Come up roses: To turn out very well or successfully.
  • Despite the problems, everything came up roses in the end.
• Come up in the world: To achieve a higher social or financial status.
  • He started with nothing and has really come up in the world.

Verb

1. gather or bring together
   • muster the courage to do something
   • she rallied her intellect
   • Summon all your courage
2. gather (money or other resources) together over time
   • She had scraped together enough money for college
   • they scratched a meager living
3. come up, of celestial bodies
   • The sun also rises
   • The sun uprising sees the dusk night fled...
   • Jupiter ascends
4. get something or somebody for a specific purpose
   • I found this gadget that will serve as a bottle opener
   • I got hold of these tools to fix our plumbing
   • The chairman got hold of a secretary on Friday night to type the urgent letter
5. start running, functioning, or operating
   • the lights went on
   • the computer came up
6. be mentioned
   • These names came up in the discussion
7. move upward
   • The fog lifted
   • The smoke arose from the forest fire
   • The mist uprose from the meadows
8. originate or come into being
   • a question arose
9. come to the surface
10. move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
    • He came singing down the road
    • Come with me to the Casbah
    • come down here!
    • come out of the closet!
    • come into the room
11. result or issue
    • A slight unpleasantness arose from this discussion
12. bring forth, usually something desirable
    • The committee came up with some interesting recommendations