drum up

verb

drummed up; drumming up; drums up

transitive verb

1

: to bring about by persistent effort

drum up some business

2

: invent, originate

drum up a new method

Synonyms of drum up

• devise
• construct
• concoct
• invent

Examples of drum up in a Sentence

anyone who drums up a better way of doing this tedious task will make a fortune

Recent Examples on the Web

The race is being flooded with money as both sides try to drum up enthusiasm and define the choice for voters. — Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

The heads of state of Lebanon, France and Jordan met on Thursday as part of an effort to drum up support for the struggling Lebanese military. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Some tabloids tried to drum up conflict among the three of us. — Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026

Santos sought to drum up interest in his possible attendance at the SOTU by repeatedly posting about his plans to show up. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for drum up

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