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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At the time, PR mavens Max Rosey and Mortimer Matz thought a hot dog eating competition would drum up some publicity for Nathan’s. Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 4 July 2025 In addition to her editing responsibilities, Wintour also supported significant initiatives to drum up retail sales, spearheading Fashion’s Night Out, which got off to a rousing start in 2009 but then ran out of steam by 2013. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 26 June 2025 But drumming up enthusiasm for the enterprise wasn’t easy. Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 23 June 2025 As Trump has shaken up global trade and drummed up investments in the U.S., Nvidia has sometimes found itself on the losing end — consider the tougher China export rules in April and tariff uncertainty in general. Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for drum up

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of drum up was in 1830

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drum up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drum%20up. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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