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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The crowd of about 50 people also began to devise a plan that would address public health in the absence of the hospital, which was abruptly shuttered last month after hospital ownership cited financial distress.—
Cam'ron Hardy,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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This byzantine corporate structure apparently did not exist until Altman devised it.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Jackson County could soon take steps aimed to ensure new data centers are not constructed in unincorporated areas of the county, at least temporarily.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
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On June 12, 2025, Koren filed a complaint with the Whitehall Township Zoning Office stating a greenhouse was being constructed without a property building permit on her neighbors' property.—
Terra Sullivan,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In it, Pattinson concocts three cocktails thematically linked to his own work and three more inspired by his all-time favorite films.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
8 Apr. 2026
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Time to grow up and reject belief systems concocted before the invention of clocks and toilet paper.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Will Inter Miami have to re-invent some of its fan base with the move south?—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
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Horvath also had a hand in inventing PhenoAge in 2018 and GrimAge in 2019.—
Lindsey Leake,
NBC news,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Now, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban faces an electoral challenge that polling suggests could remove him from power on Sunday, scores of American conservatives are pumping out messaging to drum up support for him.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Apr. 2026
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At a time when theaters are struggling to sell tickets, exhibitors are betting on increasingly elaborate popcorn buckets like the $50 Yoshi container to capitalize on millennial nostalgia, drum up excitement for movies and ultimately increase profits.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trump up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trump%20up. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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