come forward
phrasal verb
came forward; come forward; coming forward; comes forward
: to make the effort required to provide information, make a claim, volunteer, etc.
No one has yet come forward to claim the reward.
Essex Police is now appealing for anyone with information or dash cam footage of the crash to come forward and help with their inquiries.—
Alex Gidden
Alex GiddenThe young woman … had come forward after six months to accuse him of assault.—Jules De Cinque
Jules De Cinque
also
: to become publicly known
While the case was dropped the prosecutor says if substantial evidence came forward this case could go to a trial in the future … —Don Granese
Don Granese Examples of come forward in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Amid the ongoing manhunt for Decker — who is currently wanted for three counts of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping, on top of custodial interference charges — police have been asking the public to come forward with any information.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 5 June 2025
Anonymity has emerged as a hot-button issue in recent years, particularly in the wake of the #MeToo movement, as one side argues that if a celebrity faces public allegations of assault, the accuser should be forced to come forward, too.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 5 June 2025
But unlike in the 20th century, few lawmakers from either party have yet to come forward with ideas that match the scale of potential disruptions.
—Eric Gastfriend, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Michael Dougherty, district attorney for the 20th Judicial District, said at an afternoon briefing that the total had been revised from eight after four more victims came forward.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for come forward
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Nicole Acosta, People.com, 5 June 2025
Anonymity has emerged as a hot-button issue in recent years, particularly in the wake of the #MeToo movement, as one side argues that if a celebrity faces public allegations of assault, the accuser should be forced to come forward, too.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 5 June 2025
But unlike in the 20th century, few lawmakers from either party have yet to come forward with ideas that match the scale of potential disruptions.
—Eric Gastfriend, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Michael Dougherty, district attorney for the 20th Judicial District, said at an afternoon briefing that the total had been revised from eight after four more victims came forward.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for come forward
Cite this Entry
“Come forward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come%20forward. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
come forward
intransitive verb
come for·ward
: to make a presentation of something to the court
—usually used with with
must come forward with materials to show that there is a genuine issue of fact—J. H. Friedenthal et al.
J. H. Friedenthal et al.coming forward with the evidence
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