come up

5 meanings

Meanings
  1. 1 happen or appear, often without warning (a problem or chance) B1
  2. 2 think of an idea, plan, or solution B1
  3. 3 be happening soon B1
  4. 4 be mentioned or talked about in a conversation B1
  5. 5 have to deal with a problem, difficulty, or opponent B2
1 come up

happen or appear, often without warning (a problem or chance)

B1

What does "come up" mean in this sense?

Something that 'comes up' appears or happens without warning — it wasn't planned and often changes what you were going to do. This phrasal verb is most often used to explain why plans changed, why someone couldn't attend something, or why a deadline has moved. The subject is usually something like a problem, an emergency, or an opportunity — not a person. A key part of the meaning is that the event was unexpected: if you already knew it was going to happen, 'come up' wouldn't be the natural choice. It's used in both casual conversation and polite professional messages, and saying 'something has come up' is a widely accepted way to cancel plans without having to explain every detail.

Examples

How to use it

something / problem / issue + come up

This is the core pattern — the subject is always the unexpected event (a problem, opportunity, or situation), never a person.

An issue came up with the order, so we had to delay the delivery.

something + come up + at the last minute / unexpectedly

Time adverbials like 'at the last minute' or 'unexpectedly' are often added to emphasise how sudden the event was.

I'm sorry I missed the meeting — something came up completely unexpectedly.

if + something + comes up

The conditional is common when talking about possible future problems or opportunities that might arise.

If anything comes up while I'm away, just send me a message.

things / these things + come up

The plural form with 'things' is used to talk about unexpected events in general, often to reassure someone.

Don't worry — these things come up all the time in this kind of project.

something + has come up

The present perfect is especially common when explaining a very recent unexpected event that affects current plans.

She can't join us for lunch — apparently something has come up at the office.

Common Collocations

something came upa problem came upan issue came upan opportunity came upan emergency came up

Common Mistakes

Using it with a direct object

'Come up' in this sense is intransitive, which means it never takes a direct object. The unexpected event is always the subject of the sentence, not the object.

✗ I came up a problem at work.
✓ A problem came up at work.
Confusing real events with conversation topics

When a problem or opportunity 'comes up', it happens in real life. Don't use this sense when you mean that a topic was mentioned in a conversation — that's a different meaning of 'come up'.

✗ Her name came up in the meeting, so we scheduled a new deadline. (if you mean: a scheduling conflict appeared, not that her name was mentioned)
✓ A scheduling conflict came up, so we moved the deadline.
Avoiding 'will come up' for real situations

Because this sense describes unexpected events, using 'will come up' can sound odd — you can't usually predict something unexpected. Use 'if something comes up' for hypothetical situations instead.

✗ Don't worry, a problem will come up and I'll fix it.
✓ Don't worry — if a problem comes up, I'll fix it.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both casual speech and professional writing. Using 'something has come up' is a polite, face-saving way to cancel plans in any context without explaining the full reason.

2 come up with sth

think of an idea, plan, or solution

B1

Sense 2: What does "come up with sth" mean?

To come up with something means to think of it or produce it through mental effort — an idea, a plan, a solution, an excuse, or a strategy. It describes an active, deliberate process: someone is working — alone or with others — to find an answer or create something new. For example, a team might come up with a plan to solve a problem, or a student might come up with a creative title for an essay. What makes this phrasal verb useful is how natural it sounds across many situations, from casual conversation to business meetings. It focuses on the person doing the thinking — the subject is always the one producing the idea.

Examples

How to use it

subject + come up with + noun/noun phrase

The most common pattern — a person or group thinks of something and the object always follows directly after 'with'.

The marketing team came up with a brilliant idea for the campaign.

modal + come up with + noun/noun phrase

Very commonly used with modals like 'can', 'could', 'need to', 'have to', and 'manage to' to talk about ability or necessity.

We need to come up with a better solution before the meeting tomorrow.

come up with + something / anything / nothing

Indefinite pronouns like 'something', 'anything', and 'nothing' are often used as the object, especially in questions and negatives.

I've been thinking for an hour but I can't come up with anything useful.

come up with + it / them

When using a pronoun to replace the object, it must come after 'with' — never between the parts of the phrasal verb.

That was a great idea — how did you come up with it?

try to / manage to + come up with + noun/noun phrase

Often used with 'try to' or 'manage to' to describe the effort or success involved in thinking of something.

She finally managed to come up with a title for her project.

Common Collocations

a solutionan ideaa planan excusea strategya way to do something

Common Mistakes

Separating the phrasal verb

Unlike some two-part phrasal verbs, 'come up with' can never be separated. The object must always come after 'with', not between any of the three parts.

✗ She came up an excuse with quickly.
✓ She came up with an excuse quickly.
Confusing 'come up with' and 'come up'

'Come up' (without 'with') means a topic appears or is mentioned — nobody produces it deliberately. 'Come up with' means someone actively thinks of or creates something.

✗ The idea came up during the meeting, so I took credit for it.
✓ I came up with the idea during the meeting, so I took credit for it.
Using the passive form

The passive form ('was come up with') sounds very unnatural in English. Use an active sentence instead, or choose a different word like 'was devised' or 'was proposed'.

✗ A great plan was come up with by the team.
✓ The team came up with a great plan.

Usage

Neutral and extremely common in both spoken and written English — suitable for casual conversation, business, and academic contexts alike. It often appears with modals and expressions like 'need to', 'manage to', and 'try to': 'We need to come up with a plan.'

3 come up

be happening soon

B1

Sense 3: What does "come up" mean?

Use 'come up' to talk about something that is going to happen very soon, or is about to be shown or played. It is extremely common in TV and radio, where presenters use it to introduce what is coming next in a programme. Outside of broadcasting, you can use it in everyday conversation to talk about events in the near future, like exams, meetings, or appointments. The present participle form 'coming up' is by far the most natural way to use this phrasal verb. You will often hear it as a short phrase or announcement, not always as a full sentence.

Examples

How to use it

something + be + coming up (+ time expression)

The most common pattern — used to say that an event or broadcast segment is approaching, often with a time word like 'next', 'later', or 'tonight'.

The evening news is coming up in just a few minutes.

coming up + next / after / later (fragment)

Very common in broadcasting as a short announcement without a full sentence structure.

Coming up after the break: a live performance from the band.

have/have got + something + coming up

Use this pattern in everyday speech to mention a scheduled event in your own life.

I've got a really important presentation coming up on Friday.

something + comes up + (time expression)

The present simple is used for regular, scheduled broadcasts, such as shows that air at a fixed time.

The programme comes up every Sunday at seven o'clock.

something + will come up + (time expression)

Use 'will' to make a straightforward statement about a future broadcast or scheduled event.

The sports highlights will come up after the weather forecast.

Common Collocations

coming up nextcoming up after the breakcoming up latercoming up tonightan exam coming upa meeting coming up

Common Mistakes

Confusing 'come up' with 'come up with'

'Come up with' is a different phrasal verb that means to think of an idea or solution. 'Come up' on its own, in this sense, only refers to something that is happening or being broadcast soon — never add 'with' when you mean this.

✗ The documentary will come up with something interesting tonight.
✓ The documentary is coming up tonight.
Mixing up the 'happening soon' sense with the 'arise' sense

When a topic or problem appears unexpectedly in a conversation, that is a different meaning of 'come up'. The 'happening soon' sense is only for scheduled events or broadcasts, and usually includes time words like 'next', 'later', or 'after'.

✗ The question of the budget came up after the break.
✓ The interview is coming up after the break. / The question of the budget came up during the meeting.
Using past perfect for this sense

This sense of 'come up' is forward-looking, so forms like 'had come up' sound unnatural. Stick to the present continuous, present simple, or 'will' for future events.

✗ The segment had come up next on the show.
✓ The segment is coming up next on the show.

Usage

Very common in TV and radio as a teaser phrase, often as a fragment: 'Coming up: the weather.' In everyday speech, use it with 'have' to talk about future events: 'I've got an interview coming up.'

4 come up

be mentioned or talked about in a conversation

B1

Sense 4: What does "come up" mean?

This sense of 'come up' describes a topic, name, or issue being mentioned or appearing in a conversation or discussion, often naturally or without being planned. Nobody needs to deliberately introduce it — it simply appears as part of the conversation. For example, if someone's name 'comes up' in a meeting, it means that person was mentioned by the people talking. It is a neutral, everyday phrase that works in both formal situations, like business meetings, and informal ones, like a chat with friends. The subject is always something from the world of talk — a topic, question, idea, or name — not a physical object or a real-world event.

Examples

How to use it

subject (topic/name/issue) + come up

The topic or name is always the grammatical subject — it 'comes up' by itself, with no object needed.

The question of overtime came up during our team meeting.

it + come up + in/at + place/context

Using 'it' as the subject with a phrase showing where the conversation happened is extremely common and natural.

It came up in conversation when we were having lunch together.

subject + come up + in + discussion/conversation/meeting

Adding a phrase with 'in' or 'at' gives the context where the topic was mentioned.

Her promotion came up in the discussion about next year's budget.

subject + keep + coming up

Using 'keep coming up' shows that the topic has been mentioned repeatedly over time.

The same complaints keep coming up every time we meet with the clients.

subject + never/rarely/briefly + come up

Adverbs like 'never', 'rarely', or 'briefly' can be placed before or after 'come up' to say how often or how much a topic was mentioned.

Surprisingly, the cost of the project never came up during the negotiations.

Common Collocations

your name came upthe topic came upthe issue came upit came up in the meetingthe question came upit came up in conversation

Common Mistakes

Confusing this with 'come up' meaning something happens

When a problem or opportunity 'comes up', it means it occurs in real life, not in conversation. This sense is specifically about topics being *mentioned* in talk. Ask yourself: is it something being *discussed*, or something that *happened*? If you can replace it with 'was mentioned', this is the right sense.

✗ A job offer came up in my inbox, so I replied quickly. [if you mean it appeared/occurred]
✓ The possibility of a new job came up when I was talking to my manager.
Mixing up 'come up' and 'bring up'

'Come up' means a topic arises naturally or on its own, while 'bring up' means someone deliberately introduces it. They are not always interchangeable.

✗ She came up the topic of salary during the interview.
✓ She brought up the topic of salary during the interview. / The topic of salary came up during the interview.
Trying to use 'will come up' for something certain

'Will come up' sounds unnatural when referring to a specific, planned moment — topics arise, they are not usually scheduled. Use the simple past or present perfect to describe when a topic was mentioned.

✗ Don't worry — your idea will definitely come up in tomorrow's meeting.
✓ Your idea came up in yesterday's meeting. / Your idea has come up a few times already.

Usage

This sense is neutral and works in both formal and informal situations. It often appears in the simple past ('Your name came up') or present perfect ('It has come up before') to describe what was said in a meeting, conversation, or discussion.

5 come up against sb/sth

have to deal with a problem, difficulty, or opponent

B2

Sense 5: What does "come up against sb/sth" mean?

To come up against something means to encounter a problem, obstacle, or opposing force that stands in the way of what you are trying to do. The key idea is resistance — whatever you come up against pushes back or makes progress harder. It is typically used when a person, team, or organisation is actively working towards a goal and hits a significant barrier. Unlike simply finding or noticing something, coming up against something implies a real challenge that must be dealt with. The phrase works equally well in professional discussions, everyday conversation, and written English, making it a versatile and widely useful expression.

Examples

How to use it

subject + come up against + obstacle/opposition

The most common structure: a person, team, or organisation faces something that resists or blocks their progress.

The startup came up against serious regulatory hurdles when trying to launch its product.

subject + come up against + opponent/rival

Used when the obstacle is a person or group that actively opposes or competes with the subject.

In the semi-finals, our team came up against the strongest side in the league.

subject + come up against + a brick wall

This fixed idiomatic extension describes reaching a point where no more progress seems possible.

After months of negotiation, the project managers came up against a brick wall with the suppliers.

subject + come up against + it

When the obstacle has already been mentioned, 'it' or 'them' can replace the noun after 'against'.

We had heard the bureaucracy was difficult, but we didn't expect to come up against it so soon.

will/going to + come up against + obstacle

Used to predict or warn that someone will encounter a particular challenge in the future.

If you pursue that strategy, you're going to come up against a lot of resistance from local residents.

Common Collocations

oppositionresistanceobstaclesdifficultiescompetitiona brick wall

Common Mistakes

Confusing with 'come across'

'Come across' means to find or encounter something by chance, often in a neutral way. 'Come up against' specifically implies that the thing you encounter resists or blocks your progress — it is not interchangeable with a casual discovery.

✗ While reading the report, I came up against an interesting statistic.
✓ While reading the report, I came across an interesting statistic.
Trying to separate the three parts

'Come up against' is a fixed three-part unit and cannot be split. Nothing should be placed between 'come', 'up', and 'against' — the object always goes after 'against'.

✗ We came against unexpectedly stiff opposition up.
✓ We came up against unexpectedly stiff opposition.
Using it for neutral or accidental encounters

'Come up against' implies friction or opposition, so it sounds unnatural when used for things that are simply discovered or experienced without any sense of resistance or difficulty.

✗ Travelling through the region, we came up against many beautiful villages.
✓ Travelling through the region, we came across many beautiful villages.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and works in both formal writing and everyday speech. It is common in professional and business contexts when describing challenges encountered while pursuing a goal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 'come up' to talk about a person appearing somewhere unexpectedly?

No — in this sense, 'come up' is only used with problems, emergencies, opportunities, or situations as the subject. If you want to say that a person appeared unexpectedly, 'turn up' is the more natural choice (e.g. 'He just turned up at the door').

Is 'something has come up' a polite way to cancel plans?

Yes, it's very widely used and socially accepted in both spoken and written English. It signals that something unexpected happened without requiring you to give all the details, which makes it useful and face-saving in many situations.

Does 'come up' always mean something negative, like a problem?

Not at all — the subject can be a positive unexpected event too, like an opportunity or a chance. For example, 'A great job offer came up' uses 'come up' for something good. The key idea is that it was unplanned, not that it was bad.

Can I say 'an opportunity is coming up' with this meaning?

Be careful — 'is coming up' (present continuous) more often suggests something that is scheduled or expected soon, like 'The deadline is coming up.' For an unexpected opportunity that just appeared, 'an opportunity has come up' or 'an opportunity came up' sounds more natural.

What kinds of subjects work best with 'come up' in this sense?

Common subjects include 'something', 'an issue', 'a problem', 'an emergency', 'a complication', 'an opportunity', and 'a conflict'. Vague subjects like 'something' are especially common in speech because speakers often don't need or want to specify exactly what happened.

Can 'come up with' also mean something other than thinking of an idea?

Yes, in one less common use, it can mean to produce or provide something — especially money. For example, 'He needs to come up with €200 by Friday' means he needs to find and provide the money. Context usually makes it clear which meaning is intended.

What kinds of things can you 'come up with'?

The most typical objects are ideas, plans, solutions, excuses, strategies, answers, names, and concepts — things that come from thinking or creating. You wouldn't normally use it for physical objects you make with your hands; it's about mental or creative output.

Is it natural to say 'I was coming up with ideas all morning'?

It's possible, but a little unusual. 'Come up with' normally describes the moment an idea appears, so it tends to work better in simple tenses: 'I came up with several ideas this morning' sounds more natural than the continuous form.

Can I use 'come up with' in a business email or school essay?

Yes — it's neutral and widely accepted in both formal and informal writing. You'll find it in business reports, news articles, and academic writing, not just everyday conversation. If you want a more formal single word, you could use 'devise', 'formulate', or 'propose' instead.

Does 'come up with' usually describe one person or a group?

Both are equally common. One person can come up with an idea, or a whole team can come up with a strategy together. The key is that the subject is always the person or people doing the active thinking — the idea doesn't arrive on its own.

Can I use 'coming up' without a full sentence, like just 'Coming up: the weather'?

Yes — this is actually very natural, especially in TV and radio. Short announcements like 'Coming up next: sport' or 'Coming up after the break: an exclusive interview' are standard in broadcasting. You do not always need a subject or a verb like 'is'.

Is 'come up' in this meaning only used on TV and radio?

No, it is also very common in everyday conversation when you want to say that an event is approaching. For example, 'I've got an exam coming up' or 'There's a public holiday coming up next week' are perfectly normal things to say outside of broadcasting.

What kinds of things can 'come up' in this sense?

Typically, scheduled or planned things: TV segments, radio shows, events, exams, meetings, appointments, and deadlines. The key idea is that the thing is expected and is going to happen soon. You would not use this sense for something surprising that appears unexpectedly.

Does 'come up' in this sense have any restrictions on tense?

The present continuous ('is coming up') is by far the most common tense, especially in broadcasting. The present simple and 'will + come up' also work well. However, past forms like 'had come up' sound unnatural with this meaning, because the phrase is always about something in the near future.

Can 'come up' be used in the passive, like 'the topic was come up'?

No — 'come up' in this sense cannot be used in the passive. The topic or name is always the subject of the sentence, never the object. Instead of passive, just say 'the topic came up' or 'it came up in the meeting'.

What kinds of subjects can 'come up' have in this sense?

The subject is almost always something abstract that exists in conversation — a topic, name, issue, question, idea, or subject. Physical objects and real-world events do not 'come up' in this sense. So you can say 'her name came up' or 'the question came up', but not 'the chair came up' or 'the accident came up' (unless you mean it was *discussed*).

Does 'come up' mean the topic was introduced on purpose?

Not necessarily — this is actually one of the useful things about this phrase. 'Come up' suggests the topic appeared naturally or incidentally, without someone deliberately raising it. If you want to say someone *intentionally* introduced a topic, use 'bring up' instead.

Is 'it just came up' a natural thing to say on its own?

Yes, 'it just came up' is a very natural short response in conversation, often used to explain how something was mentioned without going into detail. For example: 'How did you find out about the plan?' — 'It just came up when we were talking.' Adding 'just' makes it sound even more incidental or unplanned.

Does 'come up' have other meanings I should know about?

Yes, 'come up' has a few different senses. This entry is specifically about topics or names being mentioned in conversation. There are separate meanings related to unexpected events occurring in real life, and to things happening or being broadcast soon. Context usually makes it clear which meaning is intended.

Can 'come up against' be used in the passive voice?

No, this phrasal verb cannot be used in the passive. The word following 'against' is a prepositional object, not a direct object, so there is no way to restructure it as a passive sentence. You always need a subject that is actively doing the encountering.

What kinds of things can follow 'against'?

The object is almost always a challenge, obstacle, or opposing force — things like opposition, resistance, bureaucracy, prejudice, stiff competition, or a formidable rival. It sounds unnatural with neutral or positive nouns, because the phrase implies that what you encounter is blocking or pushing back against your progress.

Can I use 'come up against' in the present continuous?

It's possible but slightly unusual. 'Come up against' describes encountering a situation rather than an ongoing action, so it fits more naturally with the simple or perfect tenses — for example, 'we came up against' or 'we have come up against'. The continuous form isn't wrong, but most fluent speakers would avoid it.

Does 'come up against it' mean something different from 'come up against a problem'?

When the context is already clear, 'come up against it' simply replaces the named obstacle with a pronoun, just as you would with any noun. However, 'come up against it' is also a fixed idiomatic expression meaning to face serious difficulties in general — for example, 'They really came up against it this year' suggests things were very tough overall.

Is 'come up against' only used for people, or can organisations use it too?

Both work naturally. The subject can be a person, a team, a company, a government policy, or even an abstract project — as long as it is actively pursuing a goal and hits resistance. For example, you might say 'The new policy came up against strong public opposition' just as naturally as 'She came up against fierce competition.'

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