trumped-up

adjective

ˈtrəm(p)t-ˈəp 

: fraudulently concocted : spurious

trumped-up charges

Examples of trumped-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Blacks in the South were routinely imprisoned on petty or trumped-up charges, then leased out to landowners, mining companies, railroads and factories as unpaid labor. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026

The charge was clearly trumped-up, but Yundi was immediately taken off all Chinese stages and media and prevented from going abroad. — Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 22 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for trumped-up

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

Kids Definition

trumped-up

adjective

ˈtrəm(p)-ˈtəp

: made-up sense 1, false

arrested on trumped-up charges