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

• concoct
• construct
• contrive
• cook (up)
• devise
• excogitate
• fabricate
• invent
• make up
• manufacture
• think (up)
• trump up
• vamp (up)

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

Fain also received a mention from Biden at this year's State of the Union address, which Fain attended. Biden, who has characterized himself as the most pro-union president in U.S. history, has recently leaned on key labor leaders to drum up support among his base. —Nora Eckert and Nandita Bose, Detroit Free Press, 11 July 2024

As fate would have it, Abbott was in Asia when Beryl hit his state, trying to drum up investment from foreign businesses. —Mark Gongloff, The Mercury News, 11 July 2024

The Kremlin sent two warships groups to link up with China in Asian waters this week, a muscle flex aimed at leaders meeting in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to drum up Western support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion. —Ryan Chan, Newsweek, 9 July 2024

But yeah, Katy Perry, the dress didn’t drum up anything for the new record but confusion. —Aamina Inayat Khan, StyleCaster, 26 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1