Phrase guide

bob up

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To rise to the surface; to ascend to the surface and remain floating there.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To appear or arrive unexpectedly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, figuratively, intransitive

Examples

  • That's when he bobbed up again and ruined everything.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

originate or come into being

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a question arose

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: arise, come up

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: become

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.