Turn up meaning
Turn up means to arrive, often late or when nobody expects you. It can also mean to make a sound, heat or light higher.
turn up
turn up · turned · turning
He turned up an hour late.
Turn up meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Arrive, often late or when nobody expects you
turn up
- He turned up an hour late.
- Only five people turned up to the meeting.
- Don’t worry, she’ll turn up.
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2
Make a sound, heat or light higher
turn something up
- Turn it up! I love this song.
- Can you turn up the heating a little?
- He turned the radio up to hear the news.
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3
Be found by chance, after being lost
turn up
- My passport finally turned up in a coat pocket.
- Don’t worry, your keys will turn up.
- The missing dog turned up two days later.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use turn 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 turn up separable?
When turn up means arrive or be found, it has no object. When it means make something louder or stronger, it is separable: turn up the volume, turn the volume up, turn it up.
Turn up at or turn up to a place: turn up at the party. A turn-up is also the folded part at the bottom of a trouser leg in British English.
Verb tenses for turn up
| Present | I turn up · she turns up |
|---|---|
| Past | turned up |
| Present perfect | have turned up |
| -ing form | turning up |
Common mistakes with turn up
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Turn up it, please.
Right: Turn it up, please.
A pronoun goes between turn and up.
Wrong: He turned up in the party.
Right: He turned up at the party.
Use at for the place where you arrive.
Wrong: I turned up my friend at the airport.
Right: I met my friend at the airport.
Turn up does not take a person as an object. Use meet.
Synonyms and opposites of turn up
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Turn up quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The film started at 8, but he didn’t ___ until 8:30.
Turn up means arrive.
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2Choose the right sentence.
A pronoun goes in the middle.
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3“Can you turn up the heating?” What does the speaker want?
Turn up means increase.
More phrasal verbs with turn
All phrasal verbs with turn, by level, with an exercise
11 phrasal verbs start with turn. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- turn onA2make a light, machine or tap start working
- turn offA2make a light, machine or tap stop working
- turn intoB1change and become something different
- turn aroundB1change direction to face the other way
- turn overB1move something so the other side faces up
- turn awayB1turn your face or body so you do not look at something
- turn downB2say no to an offer, an invitation or a person
- turn outB2happen or end in a particular way
- turn backB2return the way you have come, or make someone do this
- turn inB1give something to a teacher, a boss or an authority
Turn up FAQ
Questions people ask about turn up.
What does turn up mean?
It means arrive, often late or unexpectedly. It can also mean increase the volume or the heat, or be found by chance.
What is the difference between turn up and show up?
They are very close. Show up often suggests that people expected you to come. Turn up can also be a surprise.
What does “turn up” mean in music?
It means make the volume higher. Turn it up, I love this song.
Use turn 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.