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

Higher-end retailers are trying to drum up business by pouring money into their outlet operations and attracting more lower-end shoppers — a strategy that could drive gains for certain stocks in the space. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 26 July 2026

And for all of the outrage Musk has drummed up around The Odyssey, the film has not notably suffered at the box office at all. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026

Though for the past few months Musk has fought like a combatant in the Trojan War to drum up controversy over Nolan’s film, his efforts have failed spectacularly. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 22 July 2026

But the American auteur’s ability to drum up mass excitement for cinema remains relatively unparalleled among his peers, bolstered this time by the novelty of The Odyssey being the first feature film to be shot entirely on 70mm IMAX cameras. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 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