TURN UP – Phrasal Verb
Meaning of the English Phrasal Verb
TURN UP
English teaching for English Language Learners (ELL) who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as an Additional Language (EAL)
turn up
Definition 1:
something that is lost, or missing, is found
Examples:
1. I wish my ring would turn up. I have a bad habit of not paying attention to where I put it when I take it off at night. I looked in several places, but I couldn’t find it.
2. The police said our stolen car turned up 50 miles outside the city, with an empty gas tank.
Definition 2:
an opportunity or a job becomes available to you, especially in an unexpected way
Examples:
1. Hopefully a new job will turn up before too long and your life will get easier.
2. If an affordable apartment doesn’t turn up soon, I’m going to have move back home with my parents.
Definition 3:
arrive somewhere, especially when you are expected
Examples:
1. They are expecting about 50 people to turn up for the seminar.
2. He went to her party, but he didn’t turn up until most of her other friends had left.
turn something up
turn up something
Definition 1:
increase the volume, heat, temperature, etc. on a piece of equipment (such as a TV, a thermostat, an oven, a slow cooker, etc.)
Examples:
1. Brrr! Let’s turn up the heat.
2. Can you please turn the sound up a little? I can’t hear it.
3. I think you need to turn it up or it won’t be cooked by dinnertime.
Definition 2:
find something by searching thoroughly (similar to investigate)
1. The police raid turned up hundreds of weapons.
2. They weren’t able to turn up any further information in the investigation.
| present – | TURN UP |
| present participle – | TURNING UP |
| past – | TURNED UP |
| past participle – | TURNED UP |
Note: Many phrasal verbs have more than one definition. It is possible that not all the definitions are shown here.
