Come up meaning
Come up means to be mentioned or talked about. It can also mean to be going to happen soon.
come up
come up · came · come · coming
Your name came up at the meeting.
Come up meanings and examples
4 meanings, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.
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1
Be mentioned or talked about
come up
- Your name came up at the meeting.
- That topic didn’t come up in the exam.
- If money comes up, just change the subject.
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2
Be going to happen soon
come up
- My birthday is coming up next week.
- With exams coming up, I’m staying in.
- Is anything fun coming up this weekend?
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3
Happen suddenly, often a problem or a chance
come up
- Sorry, something’s come up. I can’t make it.
- Call me if any problems come up.
- A job came up at the library, so I applied.
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4
Walk towards someone to talk to them
come up
- A little girl came up to me and asked my name.
- He came up and shook my hand.
- Don’t come up behind me like that!
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use come up in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is come up separable?
Come up has no object. To name the person someone walks to, add to: She came up to me. To name a time, add a time phrase: coming up next week.
Come up for the sun means rise: The sun came up at six. The opposite is go down.
Verb tenses for come up
| Present | I come up · she comes up |
|---|---|
| Past | came up |
| Present perfect | have come up |
| -ing form | coming up |
Common mistakes with come up
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: A girl came up me and smiled.
Right: A girl came up to me and smiled.
Use to before the person.
Wrong: The question was come up in class.
Right: The question came up in class.
Come up is not used in the passive.
Wrong: We came up a new idea.
Right: We came up with a new idea.
For thinking of ideas, add with.
Synonyms and opposites of come up
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- arisea formal word for a problem coming up
- crop uphappen without warning; informal
- be mentionedbe talked about
Opposite
- be overbe finished, in the past
- die downbecome quieter, for talk or news
Come up quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Sorry, I can’t come tonight. Something has ___.
Something came up means something happened suddenly.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Say come up to someone.
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3Your friend says, “My exams are coming up.” When are they?
Coming up means happening soon.
More phrasal verbs with come
All phrasal verbs with come, by level, with an exercise
15 phrasal verbs start with come. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- come fromA1be born in, or live in, a place
- come backA2return to the place where you are or the speaker is
- come inA2enter a room or building, towards the speaker
- come downA2move down to a lower place, towards the speaker
- come up withB1think of an idea, a plan or an answer
- come outB1become available to buy, watch or read, like a book or film
- come overB1visit someone at their home
- come onB1tell someone to hurry or to try harder
- come aroundB1visit someone at their home
- come alongB1go somewhere with someone
- come offB1become separated from the thing it was fixed to
- come acrossB2find or meet something or someone by chance
- come apartC2break into pieces
- come throughC2arrive or be officially approved, like a visa or results
Come up FAQ
Questions people ask about come up.
What does something came up mean?
It is a polite, vague way to cancel plans without giving the reason: I’m so sorry, something came up at work.
What is the difference between come up and come up with?
Come up means happen or be mentioned. Come up with means think of an idea: A problem came up, so we came up with a new plan.
What does come up short mean?
It means almost succeed but not quite: We came up short by two points. It is mostly US English.
Use come up in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.