Show for
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Meaning 1 of 3
Definition
To have visible results or evidence for effort, time, or money spent (usually negative/rhetorical)
Example sentence
He worked so hard, but he has nothing to show for it.
Real video usage
Three clips showing this meaning in natural speech.
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Common collocations
Natural word pairings to memorize.
Common pattern: have + (nothing/little/much) + to show for + effort/time
nothing to show for it
little to show for years of work
what do you have to show for it?
much to show for her efforts
Separable usage
Can the object split the verb? Compare correct vs incorrect.
After years of work, he has nothing to show for it. ✅ (Correct)
After years of work, he has nothing to show it for. ❌ (Incorrect — "show for" always stays together; the reference doesn't move in between)