SHOW OFF Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

show off 1 of 2

verb

Definition of show off

as in to horse around

to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior the athletes warmed up, happily showing off for the crowd before the match officially started

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to display

to present so as to invite notice or attention she just wants to show off her new jewelry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

show-off

2 of 2

noun

as in hotshot

informal + disapproving a person who tries to impress other people with his or her abilities or possessions

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of show off

Verb

Polo to show off in Paris, along with an affordable electric ID. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 13 Oct. 2026 The 54-year-old, who reportedly earned a $16 million salary in 2025, launched his own YouTube channel last week, showing off the sprawling virtual city. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026

Noun

But there’s value to the subtle, occasional mention of an appropriate insider name, a gesture that’s more like a secret handshake than the work of an oafish show-off. — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 25 Nov. 2025 Luxury can sometimes be interpreted as someone, who is a show-off. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for show off

Recent Examples of Synonyms for show off

Verb

Also, don’t get too out of control horsing around with friends in the water.

— John Natale, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026
According to McGrady, the only royal who didn’t enjoy the time away in the Highlands was the late Princess Diana, who didn’t fit in with the family’s outdoorsy vibes and didn’t enjoy riding horses around the property due to a fall as a child.

— Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of horse around

Verb

The absence of a living monarch on our money, or on our travel documents, was not an accident haphazardly arrived at but a declaration of equality meant to be flourished and displayed.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Previously considered an undesirable byproduct, these structures have displayed unusual optical properties, including the ability to polarize, refract, and conduct light in distinctive ways.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of display

Noun

Next, ground crews, including the Navajo hotshots, will start hand and aerial ignitions, the department said.

— Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Fans who gush over the next big thing too often forget that many young hotshots turn out to be something less.

— Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of hotshot

Verb

Cityside, guests can head to the thumping heart of Austin nightlife where the Live Music Capital of the World always has a new favorite act and dance floor to cut up waiting just around the corner.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
In July, the Public Service Commission requested utilities submit plans to cut up to 45% of savings from the program.

— Tom Nyein, Baltimore Sun, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of cut up

Verb

But a few months later, at her 18-month appointment, the standard graph that plotted a child’s weight against their age showed her weight slipping off the curve.

— Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
Two innings later, the Dodgers took the lead again, rewarded for hard contact as the Brewers’ defense showed its first signs of sloppy play.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of show

Noun

Chalfant plays Aunt Sister Donna of Compassionate Trinity, Chickie and Doreen’s paternal aunt, who is mean as spit and tougher than any wise guy on the block.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Here’s a look at what each team in the NFC North has done in free agency, and how the wise guys in Las Vegas currently rank the division.

— Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2026

Definition of wise guy

Verb

As Marshall and Alice consider one another and then start to fool around, the sequence feels organic and dangerous without being forced.

— Erin Qualey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Another horny couple on vacation couldn’t wait until their flight landed to fool around and insisted on doing so in the plane's cabin.

— Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026

Definition of fool around

Verb

Kpodo, an architect, will exhibit work that addresses modernism, turning the focus away from tropical modernism centered on concrete buildings, which were often built by foreigners in Ghanaian cities.

— Gameli Hamelo, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Dagen McDowell, Taylor Riggs, and Brian Brenberg debate if chatbots are treated like moral beings and why users exhibit weird behavior.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of exhibit

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shown up (for)

show off

show-off

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“Show off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/show%20off. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of show off

verb

noun

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