turn up

present singular third person turns up · participle present turning up · participle past turned up · past turned up

1. copulativeintransitiveTo show up; to appear suddenly or unexpectedly.

   Is this your t-shirt that turned up in my drawer?

   4 more examples

   I don't like people turning up without an appointment.

   Highly providential was the appearance on the scene of Corny Kelleher when Stephen was blissfully unconscious but for that man in the gap turning up at the eleventh hour the finis might have been that he might have been a candidate for the accident ward […]

   1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[[Episode 16]]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC

   I haven't booked, so I don't have a clue as to whether the service will be busy or not. Supposedly, reservations are compulsory, but I want to find out what would happen if you just turn up.

   2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68

   For several months, no additional evidence was discovered. And then in July 2002, something turned up at an unusual location.

   2026 August 23, Aniket Chaughule, “Christopher Thompkins Vanished From a Georgia Survey Site in 2002. His Coworkers Were Only 50 Feet Away”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 24 Aug 2026

2. transitiveTo cause to appear; to find by searching, etc.

   I spent hours in the archives, but couldn't turn up anything on the alleged criminal.

3. transitiveTo increase the amount of something by means of a control, such as the volume, heat, or light.

   Turn up the radio and sing along.

   1 more example

   Turn the rhythm up, don't you wanna just Come along for the ride?

   2023 May 25, Dua Lipa, Caroline Ailin, Andrew Wyatt, Mark Ronson, “Dance the Night”, in Barbie the Album, performed by Dua Lipa

4. transitiveTo reposition by rotating, flipping, etc., upwards.

   He turned up his collar against the cold.

5. transitivenauticalTo belay or make fast (a line on a cleat or pin).

   Turn up the main halyard.

6. intransitiveslangTo party hard, especially when involving alcohol or drugs.

   We're going to turn up at the concert tonight.

7. UKobsoleteslangtransitiveTo acquit.

   Thirty-six were cast for death, and only one was ‘topped’ (hanged), the very one that expected to be ‘turned up’ (acquitted) for highway robbery.

   1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861

8. UKslangtransitiveTo sicken.

   '[…] fair turned me up.' 'You get used to these things, lad,' Inspector Moss said as they trudged heavy-footed up the stairs. 'Though I know what you mean. The first time I saw a dead woman my stomach turned over. […]'

   1982, Julian Symons, The Detling Murders, page 117

plural turn ups

1. alternativeAlternative spelling of turn-up.