Academic English #69. come up with: think of

In English, come up with is one of the most commonly used phrasal verbs, meaning “to think of, come up with, or suggest (an idea, answer, plan, etc.).”

It is often used in everyday conversation by Americans and is also useful in academic and professional settings.

3 everyday English examples (expressions Americans often use)

• We gotta come up with something fast. → We need to quickly come up with something.

• I came up with a good idea. → I came up with a good idea.

• He quickly came up with an excuse. → He quickly came up with an excuse.

• Let’s come up with a plan for our trip. → Let’s think about how to make a plan for our trip.

Examples of academic and professional English expressions

• We came up with a novel therapeutic approach in this study. → In this study, we proposed a new therapeutic approach.

• While preparing the presentation, we came up with several key questions. → While preparing the presentation, we identified several key questions.

• The research team came up with a new model for data interpretation. → The research team devised a new model for data interpretation.