as in to devise
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
parents who were always trumping up little projects for their children to do around the house
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Recent Examples of trump up
But in a statement issued by his attorney, Maluchnik denies all of that, saying the charges have been trumped up.
—
Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
Because of the differences they are labeled as evil, incompetent, corrupt or some other trumped up charge such as antisemitic.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026
The funding that currently pays state law enforcement overtime to trump up charges against those suspected.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Bass insisted the charges were trumped up.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
He was forced to flee the country in the months following the election, due to trumped up conspiracy and terrorism charges presented by the government that would have led to decades in prison.
—Flora Charner, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
The crimes with which she has been charged are trumped up and her arrest is a cynical ploy by the junta headed by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to cling onto power.
—Kim Aris, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
She was elected to the country's National Assembly in 2010, only to be expelled four years later on allegations her supporters said were trumped up.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025
Although the woman-alien’s powers were trumped up to comedic effect, Estelle could not help but see that beneath its B-movie veneer, Devil Girl from Mars tapped into a looming anxiety that was palpable all around.
—Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
Because of the differences they are labeled as evil, incompetent, corrupt or some other trumped up charge such as antisemitic.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026
The funding that currently pays state law enforcement overtime to trump up charges against those suspected.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Bass insisted the charges were trumped up.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
He was forced to flee the country in the months following the election, due to trumped up conspiracy and terrorism charges presented by the government that would have led to decades in prison.
—Flora Charner, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
The crimes with which she has been charged are trumped up and her arrest is a cynical ploy by the junta headed by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to cling onto power.
—Kim Aris, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
She was elected to the country's National Assembly in 2010, only to be expelled four years later on allegations her supporters said were trumped up.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025
Although the woman-alien’s powers were trumped up to comedic effect, Estelle could not help but see that beneath its B-movie veneer, Devil Girl from Mars tapped into a looming anxiety that was palpable all around.
—Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trump up
Verb
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Last week, the council voted 9–6 to direct the city manager to study moving its emergency operations, dispatch and service call center out of City Hall while devising funding plans for repairing the aging building, staying there and relocating.—
Devyani Chhetri,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
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While Green gave him instant advice, Kerr was devising ways to get Porzingis involved.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the closing seconds of the third, Odens Massillon came away with a steal, then fed a pass to Brown for a layup as the Bulldogs constructed a slim 45-41 lead entering the final quarter.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
-
After much discussion, the consensus was to believe in the team as it had been constructed.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As Gyllenhaal begins concocting her third directorial feature, could Curtis be part of the picture?—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
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Gyllenhaal, who also wrote her film, has corrected the imbalance, refashioning the story from the Bride’s perspective and concocting a protagonist of unfiltered feminist fury.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For years, people have debated who really invented the telephone.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Mar. 2026
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Papa was a director who practically invented gorgeous, lush musicals.—
Margaret Heidenry,
Vanity Fair,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Union officials also held a rally outside district offices Tuesday afternoon, drumming up support for their cause ahead of the school board’s meeting.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
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Pre-seeding While EMV levels may cool off quickly in the months following a launch, brands are increasingly drumming up pre-launch interest by teasing newness and seeding products to creators, in some cases, months in advance.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trump up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trump%20up. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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