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to come forward

to come forward

342 3.2
To offer help or information, often to the police
  • phrasal verb
  • /kʌm ˈfɔːrwərd/
translation icon : presentarse
  • If anyone knows something about the case, they should come forward and share what they know.
  • encourage people to come forward
  • come forward to tell
  • several have come forward

Interestingly, Lucien Smith himself has since come forward and kind of admitted it.

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Examples

  • If you know anything, please come forward.

  • On several occasions, participants were called on to come forward and demonstrate their teaching methods.

    Academic text (1993)
  • OK, thank you for being here and thank you for coming forward and talking about this.

  • So hopefully more people can come forward and make this much more well known.

  • Basically we just want to give you a chance to come forward here and communicate with us.

  • Finding people who are willing to come forward and talk publicly about their experiences.

    Academic text (2005)
  • I would now like to ask the Dickelspiel Award winners to come forward at this time.

  • "Dig into your great resources and find a family that's willing to come forward."

    Academic text (2005)
  • "The woman who found Reverend Singletary's body came forward while you were gone," Joy Collins said, excited.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • After the incident, several witnesses came forward to provide crucial information.

Synonyms

to volunteer
vsto come forward
391 2.0

To offer to help or do something without being paid

focuses on personally offering oneself to give information or help
to step up
vsto come forward
182 3.7

Take action and accept responsibility for a task or problem

means offering oneself or information, not just increasing involvement
to step forward
vsto come forward
146 3.1

Volunteer to help or take responsibility

focuses on offering oneself or information rather than gaining visibility
to lend a helping hand
vsto come forward
  • Informal
6 2.7

To give someone support with a task or problem

focuses on offering oneself or information rather than just providing help
to put one's hand up
vsto come forward
  • UK
1 2.6

Raise your hand to show you want to take part

is about offering oneself or information in any situation, not only group gestures
to step to the fore
vsto come forward
7.0

To offer to take charge of a group or task

focuses on offering oneself or information rather than seeking prominence

Antonyms

210 5.1

Refuse to give something someone wants or needs

90 2.5

To say nothing or not tell a secret

How Willing

to step up
182 3.7
to volunteer
391 2.0
to come forward
342 3.2
to step forward
146 3.1

Surface Forms

come forward infinitive
come forward past participle
coming forward present participle
comes forward third person singular

Morphology

come + forward

The literal sense 'move toward the front' is directly derivable from 'come' + 'forward', and this physical motion is commonly extended metaphorically to mean stepping up to offer help or information. Because the volunteer/offer sense requires mapping the spatial metaphor to a social action, it is partly predictable but not fully literal for a B1 learner, so it is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

The phrasal verb come forward gives a clear picture: someone comes out and steps forward into view to speak or help. So, it means 'to offer yourself' or 'to volunteer', especially to give information or help.