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turn up

to appear; to increase

In Phrasal Verbs

In more detail

1. (verb) to arrive or appear, especially unexpectedly

2. (verb) to increase the level or volume of something

3. (verb) to flip or fold something upward

Examples

• 1. Don't worry—he always turns up eventually, even if he's late.
• 2. Can you turn up the music? I can barely hear it.
• 3. She turned up the collar of her coat against the cold wind.

How to use turn up

Turn up as 'arrive or appear' is informal and conversational, often implying unexpectedness or informality (he finally turned up at the party). Turn up meaning 'increase volume or intensity' is neutral and very common in everyday speech (turn up the music). The third sense (fold upward) is less frequent and more physical or literal. It pairs naturally with adverbs like late, early, or unexpectedly.

Register: informal

Common phrases

• turn up the volume
• turn up the heat
• turn up late
• turn up unexpectedly
• turn up the dial

Synonyms

appear · show up · arrive · emerge · increase

Opposites

disappear · leave · decrease

Word family

turning up · turned up · turns up

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse 'turn up' (arrive unexpectedly) with 'show up' in formal contexts where 'arrive' or 'appear' would be more appropriate; also, they may overuse it in writing when more formal verbs are needed.

Nearby in Phrasal Verbs

touch on, turn down, turn out, watch out, wear off, weigh up

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained