come up

verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"come-up" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“come up” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly.

Key facts for come up
PropertyValue
Headwordcome up
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “come up” sits in English frequency

come up falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

come up is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 15 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for come up, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is come up, spelled C-O-M-E- -U-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly.
  2. 2
    To be revealed to have a certain value, quality, or status.
  3. 3
    To come to attention and present oneself; to arrive or appear.
  4. 4
    To appear (before a judge or court).
  5. 5
    To draw near in time.
  6. 6
    To approach a time or scheduled event.
  7. 7
    To reach in height.
  8. 8
    To rise (above the horizon).
  9. 9
    To begin to feel the effects of a recreational drug.
  10. 10
    To arrive at the university. (Compare go down, send down.)
  11. 11
    To happen or occur.
  12. 12
    To grow up; to experience a childhood.
  13. 13
    To do well or be successful.
  14. 14
    Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see come, up.
  15. 15
    To come towards; to approach.

Antonyms

come downgo down

This word in other languages

suceder(Español)s'approcher(Français)heraufkommen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "come up"?
"come up" is spelled C-O-M-E- -U-P.
What does "come up" mean?
As a verb, "come up" means: To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly.
What language does "come up" come from?
"come up" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “come up”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-M-E- -U-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list