turned-up
turned-up — noun
1. a short rim created by folding the lower edge of a pair of trousers outward and
a short rim created by folding the lower edge of a pair of trousers outward and sewing it into place around the ankle
Lisa asked the tailor to sew wider turned-ups onto her new grey trousers.
collocation: wide turned-ups / narrow turned-ups
Kenji brushed dust off the turned-ups of his jeans after walking through the muddy field.
The turned-ups on Feng's suit trousers were soaking wet from the rain on the way to the office.
Nila prefers trousers without turned-ups because she finds the extra fold uncomfortable against her ankles.
- wide turned-ups
- narrow turned-ups
- deep turned-ups
- trousers with turned-ups
- cuff
more common in American English; 'turned-up' is primarily British
Usage Note
This noun is almost always used in the plural form 'turned-ups', even when referring to a single pair of trousers.
Common Mistakes
2. an event, piece of news, or situation that occurs in a surprising way that no on
an event, piece of news, or situation that occurs in a surprising way that no one expected or planned
Reuben told us about a strange turned-up at the market that made everyone laugh.
informal register: describing a surprising incident
Tamar's discovery of the old letter in the attic was a remarkable turned-up for the family.
The sudden offer to buy their house came as a complete turned-up for Apinya and her husband.
Defne described the election result as a turned-up that no political expert had predicted.
- strange turned-up
- remarkable turned-up
- complete turned-up
- unexpected turned-up
Usage Note
This is a relatively informal noun, used mainly in British English conversation. It is less common in formal writing.
turned-up — adjective
1. describes something whose edge, tip, or end has been bent or folded so that it p
describes something whose edge, tip, or end has been bent or folded so that it points upward rather than lying flat
Otis wore a turned-up collar to protect his neck from the cold wind blowing across the park.
typical noun: turned-up collar
The old photo showed Théo with turned-up sleeves, carrying a bucket of water from the well.
Renata's dog had a turned-up tail that wagged constantly whenever visitors came to the door.
Nkechi noticed the turned-up corner of the rug and carefully smoothed it back down with her foot.
- turned-up collar
- turned-up sleeves
- turned-up corner
- turned-up edge
Usage Note
This sense covers a temporary or user-initiated folding action — someone bends or flips part of an object upward at that moment. Distinguish from adjective sense 2, which describes a permanent built-in design feature of the item itself.
2. made or built so that a part of the item can be raised, folded, or rolled upward
made or built so that a part of the item can be raised, folded, or rolled upward as needed, often to change its length or shape
Gabriel bought a pair of turned-up hiking trousers that could be shortened in warm weather.
design feature: convertible trousers
The turned-up sleeves on Charlotte's raincoat folded neatly into a small band above each wrist.
Padma chose a jacket with turned-up cuffs so she could adjust the sleeve length when wearing thick gloves.
The camping mattress had a turned-up end that served as a pillow when inflated fully.
- turned-up hiking trousers
- turned-up cuffs
- turned-up sleeves
- turned-up end
- convertible
broader term; 'turned-up' is specific to items designed to fold or roll upward
- adjustable
general; 'turned-up' implies a specific folding mechanism
Usage Note
This sense applies only when the object is manufactured or designed with a folding mechanism built in — it is not about a temporary folding action by the user. Distinguish from adjective sense 1, which describes someone actively folding or bending an edge upward.
turned-up — verb
- turned-uppresent simple I / you / we / they
- turned-ups3rd person singular
- turned-uping-ing form
- turned-upedpast simple
1. to arrive at a place or appear in a situation, often when you are not expected o
to arrive at a place or appear in a situation, often when you are not expected or when others are waiting for you
Otis turned up at the party an hour late with a bag of takeaway food for everyone.
adverbial: turn up at [place]
Théo turned up for the job interview wearing jeans and a wrinkled shirt from his suitcase.
Apinya had almost given up on finding a taxi when one finally turned up around the corner.
More than fifty people turned up at the town hall to support the new community garden project.
turn up to support / attend
Tamar's brother turned up at her flat late at night with a suitcase and no explanation.
- turn up late
- turn up unexpectedly
- turn up at the door
- leave
departure vs. arrival
Grammar Patterns
turn up (at/in/for)
Usage Note
Commonly followed by 'at', 'in', or 'for' to specify the place or purpose. The tone is informal and fits everyday conversation.
Common Mistakes
2. to make a device produce more sound, heat, light, or power by moving a dial, swi
to make a device produce more sound, heat, light, or power by moving a dial, switch, or button
Esme turned up the radio because her favourite song had just started playing on the morning show.
object: radio / music
Stefan turned up the thermostat when the temperature inside the house dropped below fifteen degrees.
Kian turned up the brightness on his phone screen so he could read the map in the bright sunlight outside.
The nurse turned up the heat in the hospital room because the elderly patient said she felt cold.
- turn up the volume
- turn up the heat
- turn up the radio
- turn up the TV
- turn down
the direct opposite: reduce volume, heat, or brightness
Grammar Patterns
turn up + noun (volume/heat/light)
Usage Note
The opposite is 'turn down'. Common objects include volume, heat, heating, radio, TV, music, oven, and lights.
Common Mistakes
3. to find or discover something, especially after searching for it, or for somethi
to find or discover something, especially after searching for it, or for something to be found on its own
Lisa turned up an old box of letters while cleaning out her grandmother's garage last weekend.
transitive: turn up + direct object (found item)
The police turned up several important clues during their search of the abandoned building.
Kenji's missing wallet turned up under the car seat after he had already ordered a new one.
intransitive: object turns up on its own
Reuben turned up a rare coin at the bottom of a drawer in his grandfather's old desk.
The gardener turned up a Roman coin while digging a hole for a new rose bush in the garden.
- turn up evidence
- turn up clues
- turn up a mistake
Grammar Patterns
turn up + noun
turn up (no object)
Usage Note
Can be used transitively (someone finds something) or intransitively (something is found by chance). The intransitive use overlaps with sense 4 (prove to be) — when the result has a quality like 'safe' or 'dry', both senses can apply. The key difference: sense 3 focuses on the act of finding or appearing after being lost, while sense 4 adds a judgement about the thing's condition or identity.
Common Mistakes
4. to be found or shown to have a particular quality, identity, or result, especial
to be found or shown to have a particular quality, identity, or result, especially after some time has passed or after investigation
The strange noise under the car turned up to be a loose piece of metal from the exhaust pipe.
pattern: turn up + to be + noun
Nkechi's suspicion about the leak turned up correct when the plumber found a cracked pipe behind the wall.
What looked like a valuable painting turned up to be a clever copy worth only a few hundred dollars.
The missing documents turned up safe inside a folder that had fallen behind the filing cabinet at the office.
turn up + adjective (resultative) — overlaps with sense 3 (find)
- turn up to be
- turn up correct
- turn up safe
- turn out
more common for results and outcomes; 'turn up' is less frequent in this sense
- prove to be
more formal; 'turn up' is conversational
Grammar Patterns
turn up + adjective
turn up + to be + noun/adjective
Usage Note
Closely related to sense 3 (find) in its intransitive form — when something lost 'turns up' somewhere with a describable condition, both senses apply. Use sense 4 specifically when the main point is the revealed identity or quality (e.g. 'turned up to be a fake'), not just the fact of finding it.
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four words describe coming to a place, but they differ in formality and tone. 'Arrive' is the most neutral and works in any context — you can arrive at a train station, a party, or a business meeting. 'Appear' suggests becoming visible, often from somewhere not previously seen, and can sound slightly dramatic. 'Show up' is very informal and often implies the person was expected but might be late or reluctant. 'Turn up' sits between 'arrive' and 'show up' in formality; it is common in everyday speech and often carries a hint of unexpectedness. For example: 'The bus arrived at exactly 8 o'clock.' 'A strange man appeared from behind the wall.' 'My brother showed up two hours late.' 'A taxi finally turned up after we had waited twenty minutes.'
Etymology
'Turned-up' began as the past participle of the phrasal verb 'turn up,' formed from Old English 'turnian' (from Latin 'tornare,' meaning 'to rotate on a lathe') and 'up' (from Old English 'up,' meaning 'upward'). By the 1500s, 'turn up' was used in the physical sense of folding or rotating something upward — like a collar or sleeve. The noun sense of a trouser cuff emerged in British English in the mid-1800s as men's fashion introduced folded hems on trousers. The verb sense of 'finding something unexpectedly' developed in the 1600s, based on the image of turning over soil or objects to reveal what lies beneath.
First known use
1682
1682, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun