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
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
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The controversy began at the end of a planning and zoning meeting last Thursday, when the council member raised concerns about Border Patrol agents stopping people in the community.—
Anna McAllister,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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States such as Minnesota should also look to civil law as a basis for stopping baleful and unlawful ICE tactics.—
Aziz Huq,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
-
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
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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
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In another scathing ruling from Chicago, US District Court Judge April Perry – a Biden nominee – granted a temporary restraining order halting troop deployment into Illinois for two weeks in October.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The National Council for Adoption estimates the latest restrictions are halting the cases of more than 1,000 children in over 40 countries.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At 99, Mel Brooks does not speak like a man arranging his legacy.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
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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
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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
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Peter Bawiec handles sound design, with Aghi Narottama composing the score and Tony Merle providing music.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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By recycling internal energy rather than relying on the grid, these on-board batteries could slash power consumption and offer a compact solution to the massive energy demands currently stalling quantum growth.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
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Schauffele missed the Farmers last year for the first time in a decade while recovering from a rib injury, stalling his major momentum.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Gergely Karácsony, mayor of Budapest, Hungary, was charged with organizing an unlawful assembly despite a prohibition order for his role in organizing a gay pride event.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The story recounted how, in 1936, Columbia University expelled a student named Robert Burke for organizing a rally outside of the university president’s mansion, in protest of the university’s close ties with Nazism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drawing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drawing%20up. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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