tɜːrn ʌp
neutral
beginner
- Base verb:
- turn
- Particle:
- up
- Separable:
- Yes
What does "turn up" mean?
- To increase the volume, heat, or intensity of something
- To arrive, especially unexpectedly or after being searched for
- To be found, especially by chance
Examples
- Can you turn up the volume? I can't hear the dialogue.
- He turned up at my door at midnight without any warning.
- Don't worry about your keys; they'll turn up eventually.
- Turn up the heat a bit; this soup needs to boil faster.
- She finally turned up after being missing for three days.
How to use it
'Turn up' meaning arrive is very common in casual speech. 'Something will turn up' expresses optimism that a solution or opportunity will appear.
Word order
Separable when adjusting volume/intensity: 'turn the music up'. Not separable when meaning 'arrive': 'She turned up late'.
Similar expressions
increase
raise
appear
arrive
show up
Opposites
turn down
decrease
disappear
Related phrasal verbs
- turn on
To start a device or appliance by pressing a switch or button
- turn off
To stop a device or appliance by pressing a switch or button
- turn out
To have a particular result or end in a certain way
- turn down
To reduce the volume, heat, or intensity of something
- turn into
To change or transform into something different
- turn around
To rotate to face the opposite direction
Use it in a practice answer
Try "turn up" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.