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
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.
Recent Examples of drawing up
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
The amendments resulted in Colorado drawing up the 8th Congressional District — a new seat granted to the state after the 2020 census — as one of the most competitive seats in the country.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Flores is known for drawing up aggressive blitz packages, with the Vikings’ 49 sacks last season tied for fourth-most in the NFL.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 15 Sep. 2025
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
The amendments resulted in Colorado drawing up the 8th Congressional District — a new seat granted to the state after the 2020 census — as one of the most competitive seats in the country.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Flores is known for drawing up aggressive blitz packages, with the Vikings’ 49 sacks last season tied for fourth-most in the NFL.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drawing up
Verb
-
As the day wears on, the interview subjects recall their WhatsApp groups lighting up, until more people from the surrounding buildings add to the sea of residents stopping the van from taking off.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Teams will fill the rocket’s tank with more than 700,000 gallons of super-cold fuel, stopping a half-minute short of when the engines would light.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The State Department regularly updates advisories and warnings for destinations around the world, classifying them from its lowest Level 1 advisory to its highest Level 4.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
With another icy day expected on Tuesday, many medical professionals are preparing to spend another night here at the hospital.—
Erin Jones,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Later clarification confirmed that the submarine is still preparing for submerged operations.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The leaks cropped up early in Monday’s loading operation and again hours later, ultimately halting the countdown clocks at the five-minute mark.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Top New York Democrats celebrate Sunrise Wind ruling Danish company Orsted sued the administration over halting both Sunrise Wind and its Revolution Wind for Rhode Island and Connecticut.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At 99, Mel Brooks does not speak like a man arranging his legacy.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Decorating Your Flight While these compound butter ideas are mouthwatering on their own, arranging the tray is all part of the fun of a butter flight.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Despite the show being about London’s high society, the production team used the row of terrace houses composing the famed Royal Crescent to depict the exterior of the Featherington household.—
Kayla Keegan,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Due to the Los Angeles wildfires, he was trapped in Montana for a week without plans and started composing before the film had even officially secured a financing deal.—
Matthew Huff,
Vanity Fair,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While the middle class is stalling, to put it mildly, the irredeemably rich appear to be getting even richer.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Taking care of ourselves can feel like a lot of work, maybe even stalling us from doing anything at all.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And now the daughters and granddaughters of the Ladies Aid and League of Catholic Women’s groups are organizing food, shelter, and finances against stone-cold invaders.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California has been organizing the Tết Festival for more than 40 years.—
Heather McRea,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drawing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drawing%20up. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
