DRUM UP Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

drum up

verb

Definition of drum up

as in to devise

to create or think of by clever use of the imagination anyone who drums up a better way of doing this tedious task will make a fortune

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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 drum up Santos sought to drum up interest in his possible attendance at the SOTU by repeatedly posting about his plans to show up. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026 The Basij boosted its presence during the war, and hard-liners have held nightly rallies in Tehran and other cities, drumming up support and intimidating any possible dissenters. — Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 The outbreak was largely fueled by a swell of vaccine hesitancy, drummed up by anti-vaccine activists. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 There are nonprofits, like RescueMeATL, that connect shelters to photographers and content creators to help drum up adoption excitement. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drum up

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drum up

Verb

Teams devised an unprecedented bit of spaceship surgery to replace the valve without draining the propellant and disassembling the spacecraft, steps that would have triggered a much longer delay.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026
This boutique-sized wellness retreat of 10 antique handmade Javanese wooden houses in Uluwatu was devised by owner Martha Brooke as a place to share many of the holistic methods and tools that helped her overcome cancer.

— Kathryn Romeyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of devise

Verb

To date, most analyses have compared patients’ genomes against a standard DNA sequence constructed from a limited number of people.

— Euan Ashley, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
By mimicking the oarfish’s fluid control, Shepherd’s team aims to construct large, silent robotic monitors capable of observing fragile ocean ecosystems without ever disturbing the wildlife inside them.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of construct

Verb

Explanations require concocting narratives and then defending them.

— Diana Olick, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026
Navatek would concoct a research project in partnership with a university in a member’s district or home state, and Kao would make a large initial campaign donation.

— William Turton, ProPublica, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of concoct

Verb

More importantly, bonds are also almost certainly bigger than the traditional banking system—and probably crossed that mark sometime in the past decade, for the first time since both were invented a millennium ago.

— Robin Wigglesworth, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026
The pincher has invented a device that can pull a huge amount of electricity.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of invent

Browse Nearby Words

drums up

drum up

drunk

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“Drum up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drum%20up. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of drum up

verb

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