A good shows synonym depends on who is doing the showing: a graph indicates, a study demonstrates, a museum exhibits, a friend reveals a secret and a face betrays a feeling. Show is one of the busiest verbs in English, so it slips into reports five times a page.
Below, each other word for show is sorted by sense and lined up from the most relaxed to the most formal, and the page covers the other forms (showed, shown, showing) plus the noun meaning, as in a TV or stage show. You will also find the opposites and a few false friends.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
demonstrates, indicates, reveals, displays, provesPart of speech
Verb (also a noun: a show, a performance)Most formal
exhibit, demonstrate, establishMost casual
let someone see, flash, point outStrongest
prove, establish (they leave no doubt)Antonyms
hide, conceal, maskWatch out
Prove is much stronger than suggest. Data that only hints should not prove anything.Word forms covered
shows, showed, shown, showing
Each shows synonym sorted by meaning
Most sentences use show in one of five ways. Find yours in the left column, then pick from the middle.
| What you mean | Try | Sample line |
|---|---|---|
| Let people see it | display, present, showcase, unveil | The bakery displays its cakes by the door. |
| Make a fact clear | demonstrate, indicate, prove, reveal | The survey indicates a drop in bus use. |
| Teach by doing | explain, walk through, guide | Can you walk me through the new app? |
| Let a feeling out | express, convey, betray | His voice betrayed his nerves. |
| Lead to a place | take, escort, usher | A guard escorted us to the gate. |
Another word for this shows, in reports and essays
The this shows synonym question comes up constantly. Writers search for another word for this shows more than almost any other phrase, because results sections lean on it. The fix is to match the verb to how sure you are.
- Suggests: the evidence leans one way but is not final.
- Indicates: a clear sign, often numbers.
- Demonstrates: a careful test backs the point.
- Proves or establishes: no reasonable doubt is left. Rare outside math and law.
So "This shows that sleep helps memory" can become "This suggests that sleep helps memory" for one small study, or "This demonstrates" for a large controlled one. More verbs for reporting evidence sit in our academic writing collection.
The casual to formal chip strip
Those five chips climb from relaxed speech to formal writing. Let someone see is how you put it to a friend: "Let me see your ticket." Point out picks one detail. Display is neutral and fits shops, screens and signs. Demonstrate belongs in reports and lessons. Exhibit is the most formal, used for galleries, symptoms and behavior: the patient exhibited signs of fatigue.
Synonyms for showed, shown and showing
The same choices work in every tense, but check the grammar of each word.
- Showed synonym: if you need another word for showed, the test showed a fault becomes the test revealed a fault or the test uncovered a fault.
- Shown synonym: as shown in the chart becomes as illustrated in the chart or as the chart makes clear.
- Showing synonym: a slide showing sales becomes a slide presenting sales or a slide outlining sales.
- Another word for showing as a noun, such as a film showing, is screening.
A lab report reads: "Figure 2 shows the results. The results show a rise, which shows the drug works." A cleaner version: "Figure 2 presents the results. They reveal a rise, which suggests the drug works." Three verbs, three jobs, and the claim is now honest about its strength.
Show as a noun
As a noun, show means an event people watch. A performance or production fits theater. A program fits television or radio. An exhibition or fair fits art, cars or trade. Spectacle means something big and eye catching, and it can sound a little critical: the argument turned into a spectacle. The phrase for show means only for looks: the fireplace is just for show.
Swaps that go wrong
Show off is not neutral. It means to display with pride or vanity, so "the CEO showed off the figures" sounds boastful. Betray only works for feelings or secrets that slip out against someone's will. Flaunt is even more negative than show off. And prove cannot replace show when the evidence is thin; reviewers will flag it. For the verb that fits pictures and stories, see depict and illustrate.
Opposites of show
Hide and conceal are the direct antonyms; conceal is more formal and often suggests intent. Mask and disguise suit feelings and flaws. When show means prove, the opposite is disprove or refute.
- She hid her surprise well.
- The new data disproves the old theory.
Frequently asked questions
Which formal verb can replace shows?
Demonstrates and indicates are the standard formal choices. Exhibit is even more formal and fits behavior, symptoms and art.
In an essay, what works in place of this shows?
Try this suggests, this indicates or this demonstrates, in rising order of certainty. Pick the weakest one your evidence can support.
Is reveal a synonym for show?
Yes, when something was hidden or unknown before. The test revealed a leak works, but the shop revealed its prices sounds odd unless they were secret.
What is another word for shown in a chart?
Illustrated, presented, displayed or plotted. As illustrated in Figure 1 is a common formal option.
What is the opposite of show?
Hide and conceal are the main antonyms. For the proving sense, use disprove.
Can I use display instead of show for feelings?
Yes, display works for clear, visible feelings: she displayed great patience. Express is better for feelings put into words.