come up missing
Turn up gone; disappear or get lost.
Also called came up missing, turned up missing.
Updated September 21, 2026
come up missing pronunciation
/kum up MISS-in/
Meaning
Means something or somebody is suddenly nowhere to be found. Folks say it about a wrench, a pocketknife, a dog, or a person who failed to show. Closely related to "turned up missing." Same idea as "went missing," just more porch-story flavor.
How folks use it
- “My favorite pliers done come up missing out of the toolbox.”
- “He come up missing after the dance and nobody saw him till Sunday.”
Origin and etymology
Regional Southern and Appalachian phrasing built on come up plus missing. It sits beside turned up missing, an ironic twist on "turn up" meaning appear. Exact first print date is fuzzy; newspapers and oral histories through the 1900s use both forms for people and things that vanish.
Frequently asked questions
Is come up missing the same as went missing?
Yes. Went missing is the general phrase. Come up missing is the country way of saying it.