Phrase guide

come up with

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

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, transitive

Examples

  • How can you come up with such brilliant ideas?
  • Unless Geoff can come up with the money for that train ticket, he'll be stuck in Des Moines for the weekend.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To reach or overtake.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: catch up with

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see come, up, with.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • He came up with a bag of rice, having it carried it up from downstairs.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: جَاءَ بِـ (jāʔa bi-) — to invent, create
  • Arabic: أَتَى بِـ (ʔatā bi-) — to invent, create
  • Chinese Mandarin: 想出 (xiǎngchū) — to invent, create
  • Chinese Mandarin: 提出 (tíchū) — to invent, create
  • Danish: finde på — to invent, create
  • Danish: udtænke — to invent, create
  • Dutch: bedenken — to invent, create
  • Dutch: verzinnen — to invent, create
  • Estonian: välja mõtlema — to invent, create
  • Finnish: keksiä — to invent, create
  • French: inventer — to invent, create
  • French: imaginer — to invent, create
  • German: ausdenken — to invent, create
  • Icelandic: finna upp — to invent, create
  • Italian: ideare — to invent, create
  • Italian: escogitare — to invent, create
  • Italian: inventare — to invent, create
  • Latvian: izdomāt — to invent, create
  • Livonian: ulzmõtlõ — to invent, create
  • Macedonian: смисли (smisli) — to invent, create
  • Malagasy: mamorona — to invent, create
  • Polabian: novirgnǫt — to invent, create
  • Polish: wymyślać — to invent, create
  • Polish: wymyślić — to invent, create
  • Polish: wpadać — to invent, create
  • Polish: wpaść — to invent, create
  • Portuguese: pensar (em) — to invent, create
  • Portuguese: alcançar — to invent, create
  • Russian: придумывать (pridumyvatʹ) — to invent, create
  • Russian: приходить в голову (prixoditʹ v golovu) — to invent, create
  • Slovak: vymyslieť — to invent, create
  • Spanish: ingeniar — to invent, create
  • Spanish: ingeniarse — to invent, create
  • Spanish: inventar — to invent, create
  • Spanish: inventarse — to invent, create
  • Spanish: idear — to invent, create
  • Spanish: discurrir — to invent, create
  • Spanish: ocurrirse — to invent, create
  • Spanish: elucubrar — to invent, create
  • Ukrainian: приду́мувати (prydúmuvaty) — to invent, create
  • Polish: dostawać — to obtain
  • Polish: dostać — to obtain
  • Spanish: conseguir — to obtain