draw up

verb

drew up; drawn up; drawing up; draws up

transitive verb

1

: to bring (a body of troops) into array

2

: to prepare a draft or version of

draw up plans

3

: to bring to a halt

4

: to straighten (oneself) to an erect posture especially as an assertion of dignity or resentment

intransitive verb

: to come to a halt

the car drew up at the door

Synonyms of draw up

• stop
• halt
• catch
• stall
• pull up
• check
• stay

Examples of draw up in a Sentence

he drew up his horse outside the tavern

drew up the troops into a line along the ridge

Recent Examples on the Web

When a syringe goes into a vial to draw up the liquid, there is a risk of introducing germs. —Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 30 Jan. 2026

Alongside him will be Secret Level’s newest hire, Christina Lee Storm, the former Netflix executive who helped draw up the TV Academy’s responsible AI production standards. —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026

In such cases, investors should draw up their shopping lists and stay liquid for the next big drawdown, Mahoney said. —Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026

But drawing up a workable game plan for Jarrett Stidham is right in Sean Payton’s wheelhouse, so don’t count out the Broncos. —Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for draw up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

draw up

verb

1

: to arrange (as troops) in order

2

: to prepare a draft or version of

draw up plans

3

: to straighten (oneself) to an erect posture

drew himself up angrily and left the room

4

: to bring or come to a stop

the car drew up at the door