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

Still, any empathy that the series looks to drum up for him is limited by the fact that the character takes equality as an affront—Clive can’t feel tall without someone to stand over. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026

On the eve of the protests, pro-communist, anti-Israel groups are drumming up international publicity for the waterfront campaign. — Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Fox wrote about meeting Stoltz and resolving any tension drummed up between them, 40 years after the role switched hands, in his own memoir, 2025’s Future Boy. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2026

Footsteps drum up and down the staircase as the remaining performers in this Saturday competition rehearse their routines, nerves and excitement mounting. — Julie Bourdin, NPR, 25 Oct. 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