Meaning & use
bubbles up
Last updated
“bubbles up” is a form of “bubble up”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbphrasal verb
To rise to the surface of a liquid in the form of bubbles, or to flow out slowly in this way.
Grammar: No object: water bubbles up from the spring.
Patterns
- something bubbles up
- something bubbles up from somewhere
Clear water bubbles up from a spring at the bottom of the garden.
The tar bubbles up when the road gets hot.
Gas bubbles up through the mud at the edge of the lake.
verbphrasal verbfigurative
To appear or rise inside someone or in a group, especially a feeling, idea or problem that had been hidden.
Grammar: No object; the subject is a feeling or idea: anger bubbles up.
Patterns
- something bubbles up inside someone
- something bubbles up to the surface
Laughter bubbles up whenever she remembers the story.
Old resentments bubbled up during the family dinner.
New ideas often bubble up in the middle of a long walk.
Word forms
| base form | bubble up |
|---|---|
| past tense | bubbled up |
| past participle | bubbled up |
| -ing form | bubbling up |
Common combinations
- bubble up from
- A strange noise bubbled up from the basement.
- bubble up inside
- Excitement began to bubble up inside her.
- bubble up to the surface
- Old problems bubbled up to the surface.
- bubble up through
- Gas bubbles up through the water.
- ideas bubble up
- Ideas bubble up when the team relaxes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- well up
- Well up is closest for feelings and tears, and it suggests a smooth swelling, whereas bubble up is lighter and livelier.
- surface
- Surface as a verb means to appear, often for problems, but it lacks the lively sense of rising like bubbles.
- boil over
- Boil over is stronger and means something spills out in a rush, so it suits anger more than quiet ideas.
- emerge
- Emerge is more formal and neutral, while bubble up adds a sense of something rising from below.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: bubbles up or bubble over?
bubbles up vs bubble over
Bubble over means to overflow or to be filled with a feeling like joy. Bubble up means to rise to the surface, and the feeling may be hidden at first.
Practice
Hot water ___ from the cracks in the ground in the volcanic park.
Choose one answer.
Bubbles up describes liquid rising to the surface in bubbles. Bubbles over suggests overflowing a container, which is the tempting wrong choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bubbles up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.