Meaning trap
turn up
be found unexpectedly
To appear or be discovered, especially after being lost or missing, often by chance and unexpectedly.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To appear or be discovered, especially after being lost or missing, often by chance and unexpectedly.
'turn up' also has the more basic meaning 'arrive unexpectedly'; this is the advanced sense.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
Don’t worry about your passport—it’ll probably turn up sooner or later.
Sometimes, important documents that go missing during a move eventually turn up in the most unlikely places.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: My keys turned up themselves.
Say: My keys turned up.
It's intransitive here — don't add 'themselves'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Turn up' is the natural verb for something lost reappearing; 'resurfaced' is formal.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
turn up + discovery
- eventually
- in the drawer
- missing
- again
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- turn up (arrive unexpectedly) — 'turn up' also has the more basic meaning 'arrive unexpectedly'; this is the advanced sense.