1
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
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2
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
as in hotshot
informal + disapproving
a person who tries to impress other people with his or her abilities or possessions
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of show off
Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
Jack Plummer continues to be one of the league's best quarterbacks, and showed off his rushing skills with a 71-yard score against Dallas.
—Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 11 May 2025
Otherwise, this is a visually stunning chassis that will satisfy patient-building component show-offs.
—PCMAG, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for show off
Verb
Halsey wasn’t the only star at Cannes showing off her shoe style.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
Jack Plummer continues to be one of the league's best quarterbacks, and showed off his rushing skills with a 71-yard score against Dallas.
—Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Noun
In This Article Take It Easy With Greens Pick a Combo With Staying Power
Rely On Dependable Winners
The Three Rules of Container TLC
These summer show-off container gardens will brighten up any porch or patio all season long—even in the Southern heat.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 11 May 2025
Otherwise, this is a visually stunning chassis that will satisfy patient-building component show-offs.
—PCMAG, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for show off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for show off
Verb
-
Ortiz navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made a hard charge down the stretch.—
Stephen Whyno,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
-
Ortiz navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made a hard charge down the stretch.—
Stephen Whyno,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Purpose dissolves into who owns it, who displays it, who claims authority over it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
This content can only be displayed if JavaScript is enabled.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
The Waves’ young hotshot, Dyson Gibbs (Uche Agada), steps on the toes of the team’s longtime star, Marcus Winfield (Toby Sandeman).—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The original film, which followed Cruise as the hotshot fighter pilot, was released in 1986.—
Saba Hamedy,
NBC news,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the photos, the former teammates are seen celebrating wins on the court, relaxing on vacation and cutting up during practice.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
-
Because the rings were found intact and not cut up for currency, this suggests they were not used for trade but instead served a symbolic purpose, likely decorative, communicating status, wealth, and power.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
But the first glimpse at the full team in action showed an early hierarchy among signal callers.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
At the Yale University Art Gallery, which is showing the complete series in the photographer’s largest exhibition yet, the images are hung in tall, orderly grids, like a periodic table of the human elements.—
Max Norman,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
The wise guys already view Denver suspiciously, casting them with the 12th-best odds to reach the Super Bowl next February.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Framing wise guys on murder charges for Whitey Bulger, looking the other way on a gangland hit by a BPD detective in Canton in 1976, the list of scandals is too great to even list them all.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
And this fool is taking it with the fools around him.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu tweets that five passengers from the country were evacuated from the ship and one of them exhibited symptoms after boarding the evacuation flight.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Each artist will receive £5,000, and their work will be exhibited at the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in Eschborn, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, from September 3 through January 17, 2027.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Show off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/show%20off. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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