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

Facing third-and-long, quarterback Brock Burkett took a quarterback draw up the middle 49 yards for a touchdown. —Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Nov. 2025

Give edges a makeover and add plants that grow vertically to draw up the eye. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Nov. 2025

But Heat coach Erik Spoelstra drew up the perfect inbounds pass, as Andrew Wiggins used a back screen from Davion Mitchell and cut open to the basket. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025

With a special fitness programme drawn up, the hope internally was that, by October, Isak would be physically ready to show why he’s regarded as one of the Premier League’s most lethal marksmen. —The Athletic's Liverpool Staff, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025

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