come up with

USAGE SUMMARY

"come up with" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to suggest coming up with a creative solution or idea, usually with the implication that it requires some effort. For example, "We need to come up with a plan to solve this problem."

✓ Grammatically correct

Wiki

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"They'll come up with something".

The New York Times

"You come up with themes".

The New Yorker

"Come up with a good question".

The New York Times

So what did they come up with?

The New York Times

Can you come up with clever questions?

The New York Times

Come up with four totals.

Forbes

To come up with ideas.

Forbes

Someone will come up with an innovation.

Forbes

Come up with questions.

WikiHow

Come up with characters.

WikiHow

Come up with ideas.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In formal business writing, consider replacing it with more specific verbs like "devise" or "formulate" to appear more professional.

Common error

Avoid using "come up with" when you actually mean you found something by chance. For instance, do not say "I came up with a twenty-dollar bill on the street"; use "found" or "came across" instead.

How to use

Learn how to use "come up with" with practical examples and tips.

How to use

Linguistic Context

As a transitive phrasal verb, "come up with" functions to link a subject to a produced idea or physical item. Ludwig confirms its grammatical accuracy and notes its widespread use in modern English to denote creation or invention.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Wiki

86%

News & Media

10%

Formal & Business

4%

Less common in

Academic

0.5%

Science

0.3%

Social Media

0.2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "come up with" is a highly versatile and correct phrasal verb used to describe the creation or invention of ideas, plans and solutions. Ludwig AI data shows that it is exceptionally common in instructional and journalistic writing, appearing in 60 distinct examples across a variety of reliable domains. Whether you are using it to describe a complex strategy in The New Yorker or a simple creative task in a WikiHow guide, the phrase remains a reliable choice for expressing creative output. While it is perfect for everyday and professional use, writers seeking a more academic tone may occasionally substitute it with alternatives like "formulate" or "devise".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

devise

More formal and often implies a complex or systematic plan.

think of

A simpler and broader alternative for basic mental retrieval or generation.

conceive

Focuses on the mental origin of an idea or original thought.

brainstorm

Emphasizes the collaborative or intensive process of generating ideas.

formulate

Suggests a structured and precise development of a strategy or theory.

dream up

More informal and often implies a highly creative or whimsical idea.

propose

Used when the idea is being formally presented for approval or consideration.

hit on

Suggests a sudden or unexpected discovery of a good idea.

invent

Implies creating something entirely new that did not exist before.

produce

Focuses more on the resulting output than the mental process.

FAQs

How do I use "come up with" in a sentence?

You use it to describe generating an idea, such as in the sentence, "The team needs to "come up with" a new marketing strategy by Monday."

What can I say instead of "come up with"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like ""devise"", "conceive" or "propose".

What is the difference between "come up with" and "think of"?

While "think of" is more general, "come up with" often implies a more active search for a solution or a creative effort to solve a problem.

Is "come up with" informal?

It is considered neutral. While common in informal guides and news, more formal contexts might prefer ""formulate"" or ""devise"".