come up

come up phrasal verb (see also come)
1. if someone comes up to you, they come close to you, especially in order to speak to you:
   • One of the teachers came up and started talking to me.
  come up to
   • A man came up to him and asked for a light.
2. if someone comes up to a place, they travel north to the place where you are
  come up to
   • Why don’t you come up to New York for the weekend?
3. if a subject comes up, people mention it and discuss it SYN arise:
   • His name came up in the conversation.
   • The subject of salaries didn’t come up.
4. if a problem or difficulty comes up, it appears or starts to affect you SYN arise:
   • I’m afraid I’ll have to cancel our date – something’s come up.
   • The same problems come up every time.
5. if a job or an opportunity comes up, it becomes available:
   • A vacancy has come up in the accounts department.
6. to be dealt with in a law court:
   • Your case comes up next week.
7. be coming up to be going to happen soon:
   • With Christmas coming up, few people have much money to spare.
8. if the sun or moon comes up, it moves up into the sky where you can see it SYN rise:
   • It was six o'clock, and the sun was just coming up.
9. if a plant comes up, it begins to appear above the ground:
   • The first spring bulbs are just coming up.
10. if food comes up, it goes back through your mouth from your stomach after being swallowed ⇨ vomit
11. coming (right) up! spoken used to say that food or drink will be ready very soon:
   • ‘Two Martinis, please.’ ‘Coming up!’

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

come up

▪ I.ˌcome ˈupderived

1. (of plants) to appear above the soil

• The daffodils are just beginning to come up.

2. (of the sun) to rise

• We watched the sun come up.

3. to happen

• I'm afraid something urgent has come up.

• We'll let you know if any vacancies come up.

4. to be mentioned or discussed

• The subject came up in conversation.

• The question is bound to come up at the meeting.

5. (of an event or a time) to be going to happen very soon

• Her birthday is coming up soon.

6. to be dealt with by a court

• Her divorce case comes up next month.

7. if your number, name, ticket, etc. comes up in a betting game, it is chosen and you win sth

8. (informal) (usually used in the progressive tenses) to arrive; to be ready soon

• ‘Is lunch ready?’ ‘Coming up!’

Main entry: comederived

▪ II.ˌcome ˈup (to sb)derived

to move towards sb, in order to talk to them

• He came up to me and asked me the way to the station.

Main entry: comederived

▪ III.ˌcome ˈup (to…)derived

(BrE, formal) to arrive at a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge, at the beginning of a term or in order to begin your studies

Opp: come down

Main entry: comederived

▪ IV.ˌcome ˈup (to…) (from…)derived

to come from one place to another, especially from the south of a country to the north or from a smaller place to a larger one

• Why don't you come up to Scotland for a few days?

Main entry: comederived

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

come up

come up (HAPPEN) phrasal verb
1 to happen, usually unexpectedly:
I've got to go - something has just come up at home and I'm needed there.

2 be coming up to be happening soon:
My exams are coming up soon.

come up (BE MENTIONED) phrasal verb
to be mentioned or talked about in conversation:
What points came up at the meeting?

come up (COMPUTER) phrasal verb
If information comes up on a computer screen, it appears there.

come up (RISE) phrasal verb
When the sun or moon comes up, it rises.

come up (OPPORTUNITY) phrasal verb
If a job or opportunity comes up, it becomes available:
A position has come up in the accounts department.

come up (MOVE TOWARDS) phrasal verb
to move towards someone:
A young girl came up to me and asked for money.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

come up

1) PHRASAL VERB If someone comes up or comes up to you, they approach you until they are standing close to you.
  [V P] Her cat came up and rubbed itself against their legs...
  [V P to n] He came up to me and said: `Come on, John.'
2) PHRASAL VERB If something comes up in a conversation or meeting, it is mentioned or discussed.
  [V P] The subject came up at a news conference in Peking today...
  [V P] Jeane Kirkpatrick's name has come up a lot.
3) PHRASAL VERB If something is coming up, it is about to happen or take place.
  [V P] Plan your activities so that you are rested and refreshed when something important is coming up...
  [V P] We do have elections coming up.
4) PHRASAL VERB If something comes up, it happens unexpectedly.
  [V P] I was delayed - something came up at home...
  [V P] Other projects came up and the emphasis of my work altered.
5) PHRASAL VERB If a job comes up or if something comes up for sale, it becomes available.
  [V P] A research fellowship came up at Girton and I applied for it and got it...
  [V P for n] The house came up for sale and the couple realised they could just about afford it.
6) PHRASAL VERB When the sun or moon comes up, it rises.
  [V P] It will be so great watching the sun come up.
7) PHRASAL VERB In law, when a case comes up, it is heard in a court of law.
  [V P] He is one of the reservists who will plead not guilty when their cases come up.