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turn up

phrasal verb · turn-up noun

Formsturns up, turning up, turned up

12 meanings of turn up

Practice

  1. 1
    increasephrasal verbtransitive
    To make something louder, hotter, or brighter by using its controls.

    Please turn up the TV so Grandpa can hear it.

    It's dark in here, so I'll turn the lights up.

    Similarincrease, raise, boost

    Oppositelower, reduce

    Note
  2. 2
    phrasal verbintransitive
    To arrive, or to appear suddenly when no one expected it.

    Lots of people turned up at the party without being invited.

    Don't just turn up at the doctor's office without calling first.

    Similarappear, arrive, surface, materialize

    Note
  3. 3
    find by searchingphrasal verbtransitive
    To find something or make it appear, often by searching.

    We looked everywhere, but we didn't turn up the missing ring.

    Digging in the garden turned up an old coin.

    Similaruncover, unearth, find, discover, reveal

    Note
  4. 4
    flip upwardphrasal verbtransitive
    To fold, flip, or turn something so it points up.

    Turn up your collar, it's cold out there.

    She turned the cards up one by one.

    Similarraise

  5. 5
    party hardphrasal verbslangintransitive
    To party in a wild way, often with drinking or drugs.

    It's Friday night, and we are ready to turn up!

    They turned up all night after the big win.

    Similarparty

    Note
  6. 6
    bottom of pantsnoun · turn-upcountable
    The part at the bottom of a pant leg that is folded up to make it shorter.

    There was a small hole in the turn-up of his left pant leg.

    Dad found coins in the turn-ups of his old pants.

    Similarcuff

    Note
  7. 7
    lucky surprisenoun · turn-upfigurativelycountable
    A lucky surprise, or something that happens when you did not expect it.

    Finding twenty dollars in my old coat was a nice turn-up.

    The team that was supposed to lose won the cup, which was a real turn-up.

    Similarsurprise

    Note
  8. 8
    card gamenoun · turn-upcountable
    The next card taken off the top of the deck and shown to everyone.

    The dealer flipped the turn-up, and it was a seven.

    We all hoped the turn-up would be a heart.

    Note
  9. 9
    secure ropephrasal verbtransitive
    To tie a rope tightly around a cleat or pin on a boat so it holds.

    The sailor turned up the rope on the cleat so it would not slip.

    Once the sail is raised, turn the line up so it stays in place.

    Similarbelay, secure

    Note
  10. 10
    flap booknoun · turn-uphistoricalcountable
    A children's book with flaps you lift to see pictures or words underneath.

    The little girl lifted each flap of her turn-up to find the hidden pictures.

    Books with flaps which lifted up and down and known as "turn-ups" came about in 1795 and were listed in Laurie and Whittle's catalogue.
    1971, Gwen White, Antique Toys And Their BackgroundHere, turn-ups means children's books with flaps you lift to see underneath.
    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 11
    fightnoun · turn-updatedcountable
    A fight, or trouble that breaks out.

    A turn-up started outside the bar, and the police came.

    The two brothers had a turn-up over who owned the boat.

    Similarfight, brawl, scuffle, fracas

    Note
  2. 12
    find not guiltyphrasal verbobsoleteUKtransitive
    To decide in court that someone is not guilty and let them go free.

    The jury turned him up, so he went home that night.

    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 PoorHere, turned up means found not guilty and let go free.
    Note

Practice

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Origin

From the verb turn up.