# spring up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/spring-up
Updated: 2026-10-23

## Definition

to appear or start to exist suddenly and in large numbers.

For teachers: to emerge or develop rapidly and unexpectedly. Intransitive — the verb does not take a direct object.

## Examples

- New coffee shops are springing up all over the city.
- After the heavy rain, mushrooms began to spring up across the damp forest floor.
- Dozens of tech startups began to spring up in the valley as venture capital became more accessible to young entrepreneurs.

## Pitfalls

- Not "Many buildings were sprung up." but "Many buildings sprang up." — this phrasal verb is intransitive and cannot be used in the passive voice.

## Usage notes

- usually used with plural subjects to describe a sudden trend or growth.
- Teaching tip: remind students that 'spring' is an irregular verb (spring, sprang, sprung); the movement of a physical spring provides a helpful visual for the suddenness of the appearance.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.