point up
point up — phrasal verb
- point upbase form
- points up3rd person singular
- pointing up-ing form
- pointed uppast simple
1. to draw people's attention to a problem, flaw, or failure that might otherwise b
to draw people's attention to a problem, flaw, or failure that might otherwise be overlooked, so that it is more widely noticed and discussed.
The school's low test scores pointed up serious problems with the reading programme.
pointed up + noun phrase (serious problems)
Kenji's audit pointed up several accounting errors the company had missed for years.
pointed up + noun phrase (accounting errors)
The documentary pointed up the gap between rich and poor in the capital city.
Marta's resignation pointed up how unhappy the staff had become under the new manager.
The winter power cuts pointed up the weakness of the country's energy grid.
- gloss over
to hide or avoid mentioning a problem
- downplay
to make something seem less important
文法句型
point up + noun phrase
point + noun + up
用法筆記
Subject is usually a situation, event, or report; the object is typically a problem, weakness, flaw, or contradiction. Separable: the noun object can follow 'up' ('point up the problem') or sit between 'point' and 'up' ('point the problem up').
常見錯誤
2. to make a neutral or beneficial quality, contrast, or fact more clearly noticeab
to make a neutral or beneficial quality, contrast, or fact more clearly noticeable or appreciated — for example, a comparison that reveals the elegance of one option over another, or a case that illustrates a general principle.
The contrast between the two designs pointed up the elegance of the simpler option.
pointed up + noun phrase (the elegance)
Noa's success in the competition points up the value of daily practice.
The case of the lost hikers points up the need for better safety equipment in national parks.
Beatriz's report pointed up the difference between the two teaching methods more clearly than any earlier study.
The museum exhibition points up how craft traditions from different countries influenced one another.
- emphasise
more common; broader register range
- demonstrate
suggests evidence or proof is provided
- illustrate
suggests making something clear through an example
- obscure
to make something harder to notice or understand
文法句型
point up + noun phrase
point + noun + up
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1 (which highlights problems or flaws), this sense draws attention to positive or neutral qualities — worth, elegance, importance, instructive contrasts. Subject is typically a report, comparison, case, or exhibition; the object is an abstract noun such as 'need', 'value', 'importance', 'difference', 'contrast'.