front up

English

Verb

front up (third-person singular simple present fronts up, present participle fronting up, simple past and past participle fronted up)

1. To lead or represent.
   • 2009, Tim Gray, Amy Stewart, The Governance of Water and Sanitation in Africa, →ISBN:

     Likewise, Causer (2005) stated that 'we wouldn't get that support [from African governments] if we didn't have the UK government fronting it up . . . so it needs to be government led . . . we wouldn't be anywhere at all without a UK government lead.'

   • 2016, Craig Robertson, Murderabilia: Everyone has a hobby. Some people collect death., →ISBN:

     Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Crosbie, the lead for the Major Investigation Team, was fronting it up, but she wouldn't have expected anything else. A highprofile case always suits the suits.

   • 2016, Clive Driscoll, In Pursuit of the Truth, →ISBN, page 127:

     Coming into a new team – especially fronting it up —can be tricky if you're replacing someone who didn't, let's say, want to leave the post, but the results of my predecessor spoke volumes: volumes of crime.

2. To show up; to appear or present oneself.
   • 2007, Peter Watt, To Chase the Storm: The Frontier, →ISBN:

     "Like this when you left for Suakin?" Patrick asked as he fronted up to the bar with the smaller man beside him.

   • 2011, Kevin Crowe, Whistle up a Storm, →ISBN, page 81:

     Back in Brisbane on the Tuesday morning, I fronted up to have my knee checked out by Doctor Lars, an orthopaedic surgeon.

   • 2013, Terrence Edward Creek, Grandma's Cookie Jar, →ISBN, page 99:

     So I fronted up Saturday afternoon at the usual time to find quite a crowd of blokes waiting to go to work.

   • 2015, Dave Sharp, Wind Up The Windows We’re Coming In To Land, →ISBN:

     The word went around that the local butchers, Ian Tait and Ron Smith (Smithy), wanted an apprentice. H.O. and I fronted up to see them and I got the job.

3. To meet with one's best efforts.
   • 2012, Michael Bauer, Don't Call Me Ishmael, →ISBN:

     Honestly. We'd fronted up and given it our best shot.

   • 2012, Martyn Smith, The Premiership in Focus, →ISBN, page 184:

     Sven was under a lot of pressure as it was at the end of the week when England had lost to Northern Ireland and we had him and Lawrie Sanchez on set. England were in a mess but he fronted it up.

   • 2012, Joanne Marree, Win-Win Clear Heart Clear Mind, →ISBN, page 116:

     I fronted up. I had little idea that this was what I was doing at the time, but in hindsight, I always did it. I always fronted up and allowed life to present itself to me.

   • 2016, Gerry Thornley, Front Up, Rise Up: The Official Story of Connacht Rugby, →ISBN:

     We took a lot of kids on that trip, and they fronted up. The Russians fronted up too.

4. To face; to confront or challenge.
   • 2003, Lenny McLean, The Guv'nor, →ISBN:

     He might have been the business when it came to knocking the bollocks out of little babies, but fronted up by a real man that gutless coward went to pieces and buggered off without arguing.

   • 2012 -, James Miles, Paul Loseby, Banged Up Abroad: Hellhole, →ISBN:

     We fronted up to the fact that we'd be there until we got the whole nightmare sorted out for ourselves.

   • 2012, Buck Shelford, Buck Up: The Real Bloke's Guide to Getting Healthy and Living Longer, →ISBN:

     He's been the fat guy. He's had cancer. He has fronted up to both and sorted them out.

   • 2013, Rod Stewart, Rod: The Autobiography, →ISBN, page 146:

     And, really, the proof of the untruth is the nature of Ronnie himself: he was hardly someone who would stand by, uncomplainingly, while someone purloined one of his songs and not even mention it until years afterwards. He would have fronted it up with me there and then.

   • 2023 August 9, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Disinterested and dishonest”, in RAIL, number 989, page 3:

     It is difficult to summarise the arrogance, contempt, complacency and incompetence shown by the DfT in a scheme where it strong-armed the rail industry (in the form of the Rail Delivery Group) to 'front up'.

5. To admit or confess.
   • 2012, DF Ryschka, Too Young to Vote But Old Enough to Kill, →ISBN:

     I also get a bit of a laugh about how forgiving the then priesthood was, when I fronted up to the Catholic priest, who was looking after a small church hall on Glynburn Road to apologise for knocking off the church association's tea and biscuits money tin.

   • 2013, Emlyn Rees, Josie Lloyd, Come Together, →ISBN, page 131:

     And they do have a case: I would feel a lot better about myself if I just fronted up to Amy and told her the truth about working here for real three days a week.

   • 2016, John Uttley, Where's Sailor Jack?, →ISBN:

     If he asks for longer, then you start the blackmail by saying you've been honest with him by fronting it up before the deal rather than firing him afterwards.

6. To pay in advance or give with the expectation of being reimbursed later.
   • 1999, Michael S. Long, If Your Dreams Are Big Enough, the Facts Don't Count!, →ISBN:

     The second training was $800, and someone I met through the first training wanted to make sure that I continued on; so they fronted up the money, and I paid them back.

   • 2014, Linda Rickard, Divine Fury, →ISBN, page 82:

     After extracting the truth, Alan's parents had fronted up the money to pay off his debt.

   • 2015, Tim Weaver, What Remains, →ISBN:

     So, I was helping him find a job, paying for his petrol to get to interviews, and I also fronted up the cash for a motel. He told me he'd pay me back once he got himself together again.

Anagrams

• up front, up-front, upfront