Come up
2 meanings · select one to explore
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Meaning 1 of 3
Definition
To be approaching (in time)
Example sentence
His birthday is coming up.
Real video usage
Three clips showing this meaning in natural speech.
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Common collocations
Natural word pairings to memorize.
Common pattern: [event] + coming up + (time reference)
coming up next week
the deadline is coming up
exams are coming up
coming up fast
coming up soon
Separable usage
Can the object split the verb? Compare correct vs incorrect.
The holidays are coming up fast this year. ✅ (Correct)
The holidays are coming fast this year up. ❌ (Incorrect — inseparable, always stays together)
Meaning 1 of 3
Definition
To be mentioned in conversation, or to happen unexpectedly
Example sentence
That issue came up during the meeting.
Real video usage
Three clips showing this meaning in natural speech.
Don’t see captions? Click the CC button on the video to turn them on.
Don’t see captions? Click the CC button on the video to turn them on.
Don’t see captions? Click the CC button on the video to turn them on.
Common collocations
Natural word pairings to memorize.
Common pattern: come up (often + during/in context)
come up during the meeting
something came up
came up in conversation
if it comes up
came up unexpectedly
Separable usage
Can the object split the verb? Compare correct vs incorrect.
A scheduling conflict came up last minute. ✅ (Correct)
A scheduling conflict came last minute up. ❌ (Incorrect — inseparable, always stays together)