come forward
phrasal verb
came forward; come forward; coming forward; comes forward
: to make the effort required to provide information, make a claim, volunteer, etc.
No one has yet come forward to claim the reward.
Essex Police is now appealing for anyone with information or dash cam footage of the crash to come forward and help with their inquiries.—
Alex Gidden
Alex GiddenThe young woman … had come forward after six months to accuse him of assault.—Jules De Cinque
Jules De Cinque
also
: to become publicly known
While the case was dropped the prosecutor says if substantial evidence came forward this case could go to a trial in the future … —Don Granese
Don Granese Examples of come forward in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The school board’s consideration of Bluebonnet K-5 reading comes forward as Fort Worth ISD awaits a decision from Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath by the end of the calendar year about whether TEA will take over control of the district.
—Lina Ruiz
september 19, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Sep. 2025
The case went unsolved for two years, then police released surveillance video of a suspect, prompting a person who knows Wheeler to come forward implicating him, authorities said.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
Immigrants who are victims of crime or witnesses could be afraid to come forward, worried ICE will question them about their status.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Each one comes forward with its own particular character.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for come forward
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Lina Ruiz
september 19, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Sep. 2025
The case went unsolved for two years, then police released surveillance video of a suspect, prompting a person who knows Wheeler to come forward implicating him, authorities said.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
Immigrants who are victims of crime or witnesses could be afraid to come forward, worried ICE will question them about their status.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Each one comes forward with its own particular character.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for come forward
Cite this Entry
“Come forward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come%20forward. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
come forward
intransitive verb
come for·ward
: to make a presentation of something to the court
—usually used with with
must come forward with materials to show that there is a genuine issue of fact—J. H. Friedenthal et al.
J. H. Friedenthal et al.coming forward with the evidence
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