1
as in stopping
to bring (something) to a standstill
he drew up his horse outside the tavern
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in classifying
to put into a particular arrangement
drew up the troops into a line along the ridge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in preparing
to put (something) into proper and usually carefully worked out written form
draw up a proposal and submit it to the committee for approval
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drawing up
While the Blue Lagoon—its waters milky with mineral-rich silica—remains the most famous, drawing up to a million visitors a year, smaller, less touristy lagoons have been appearing across the country, from Sky Lagoon on Kársnes Harbour near Reykjavik to Forest Lagoon in Iceland’s far north.
—
Rick Jordan, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Santa Clara police, who have been drawing up security for 49ers games and other major events since the venue opened in 2014 — and who helped host Super Bowl 50, the stadium’s first NFL championship, in 2016 — have been guarded about releasing even broad security details.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026
But drawing up a workable game plan for Jarrett Stidham is right in Sean Payton’s wheelhouse, so don’t count out the Broncos.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
One of them is by drawing up military models to repel a theoretical invasion from the US — the first time in a century that Canadian Armed Forces have done so.
—Joe Wilkins Published Jan 21, Futurism, 21 Jan. 2026
And McMillan gave them some help with his clipboard and dry-erase marker, too, drawing up a handful of plays that completely negated the Texas defense and allowed the Aggies open looks at the rim.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 17 Jan. 2026
When building a game plan and drawing up pass plays, knowing that Jackson, Dalman and Thuney are more likely than not to keep the middle of the pocket clean plays a role.
—Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The Red Sox understandably are drawing up contingency plans to replace the three-time All-Star who will turn 32 at the start of next season.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
And even beyond the storms themselves, meteorologists face additional uncertainty in drawing up a forecast.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 26 Sep. 2025
Rick Jordan, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Santa Clara police, who have been drawing up security for 49ers games and other major events since the venue opened in 2014 — and who helped host Super Bowl 50, the stadium’s first NFL championship, in 2016 — have been guarded about releasing even broad security details.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026
But drawing up a workable game plan for Jarrett Stidham is right in Sean Payton’s wheelhouse, so don’t count out the Broncos.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
One of them is by drawing up military models to repel a theoretical invasion from the US — the first time in a century that Canadian Armed Forces have done so.
—Joe Wilkins Published Jan 21, Futurism, 21 Jan. 2026
And McMillan gave them some help with his clipboard and dry-erase marker, too, drawing up a handful of plays that completely negated the Texas defense and allowed the Aggies open looks at the rim.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 17 Jan. 2026
When building a game plan and drawing up pass plays, knowing that Jackson, Dalman and Thuney are more likely than not to keep the middle of the pocket clean plays a role.
—Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The Red Sox understandably are drawing up contingency plans to replace the three-time All-Star who will turn 32 at the start of next season.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
And even beyond the storms themselves, meteorologists face additional uncertainty in drawing up a forecast.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drawing up
Verb
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The video, shared by the Chino Police Department, shows two vehicles stopping at a red light in front of and behind a big rig on Friday.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Eventually Trump himself entered the hall—now as quiet as a library—and began making his way very slowly down the red carpet with the First Lady, stopping every few steps to take a question.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This means OpenAI is essentially classifying the model as capable enough at coding to potentially facilitate significant cyber harm, especially if automated or used at scale.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
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Young Women’s Leadership Academy has students in grades 6-12 and has an 85% minority population, with 65% of total students classifying as Hispanic and 20% as African-American.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Travelers preparing to explore Mexico’s archaeological sites or beaches are encouraged to prepare carefully.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The series, which follows elite riders preparing for the Run for a Million, where there is a $1M prize purse, aired its sixth season on CMT at the end of last year.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After arriving on Netflix and Peacock, the flagship show unexpectedly broke streaming records and topped Nielsen's streaming charts for months on end in the midst of the Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes essentially halting production and postproduction on new shows.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Feb. 2026
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Let your inner animal roar with a traffic-halting color and an even bolder print.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Of course, standard service like checking you in, unpacking your luggage, and arranging your room and amenities to your liking is taken care of effortlessly.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Since then, Elizabeth has been as important to Copeland’s professional life as his personal life, co-founding a children’s theater school with him, arranging his music, and supporting him as he was launched from obscurity.—
Matthew Blackwell,
Pitchfork,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While the weary court composer is buried in the bureaucracy of state music, teaching scores of pupils, serving on endless committees and composing anthems and choral pieces, Mozart is dashing off works of startling originality while acting like a complete goofball.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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Lama provides an artist-friendly approach to composing materials built from layers representing distinct physical phenomena.—
Kimberly Nordyke,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mountain Cement believes the Source may be stalling, since Wallace previously ruled against the hotel.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
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After stalling for years, the initiative was promoted successfully this time by a group of young female legislators who have talked about the challenges of balancing work, family and legislative duties.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The beginnings of the visits date back to 2007, when Sisters Pat Murphy and JoAnn Persch started organizing weekly prayer vigils outside the building.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
-
When asked about foreign influence in Indiana's anti-ICE protests, Banks' Senate spokesperson Jessica McCune said multiple groups organizing protests and actions are part of a financial support network tied to Singham.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drawing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drawing%20up. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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