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
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
His defense team and supporters say the secondment was all aboveboard and ordered by his superiors, and that the allegations are trumped up and political.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 19 July 2025
Activist groups say the charges against him were trumped up.
—Gabe Levin, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
Yes, his relationship with alcohol seems to be not great and complicated, but these charges still seem trumped up to me.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 June 2025
In their response, Petrova’s attorneys accused the government of trumping up criminal charges in a bid to prevent her bail and motions from being heard in federal court.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
And, while the charges were most likely trumped up, the city’s leaders were correct about one thing: Young people are highly suggestible.
—Patricia Schultheis, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2025
The work was banned by the Malian Ministry of Culture and Cissé was arrested and jailed on trumped up charges of accepting French funding.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025
Human rights groups and some Western countries have accused Iran of trying to win concessions from other nations through arrests on security charges that may have been trumped up.
—Fox News, 19 Feb. 2025
Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
His defense team and supporters say the secondment was all aboveboard and ordered by his superiors, and that the allegations are trumped up and political.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 19 July 2025
Activist groups say the charges against him were trumped up.
—Gabe Levin, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
Yes, his relationship with alcohol seems to be not great and complicated, but these charges still seem trumped up to me.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 June 2025
In their response, Petrova’s attorneys accused the government of trumping up criminal charges in a bid to prevent her bail and motions from being heard in federal court.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
And, while the charges were most likely trumped up, the city’s leaders were correct about one thing: Young people are highly suggestible.
—Patricia Schultheis, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2025
The work was banned by the Malian Ministry of Culture and Cissé was arrested and jailed on trumped up charges of accepting French funding.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025
Human rights groups and some Western countries have accused Iran of trying to win concessions from other nations through arrests on security charges that may have been trumped up.
—Fox News, 19 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trump up
Verb
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The two quickly built a rapport, and Preservation began sending ‘Nandez beats, eventually inviting him to New Orleans to hang out while devising the project’s sonic core and predominant themes.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
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Prior to Leucippus, earlier scientist-philosophers had devised the concepts of elements as components of reality, and often looked to one component in particular as being the fundamental originator — or arche (ἀρχή) — of all the others.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The all-in-one jumpsuit is well-constructed and comfortable to wear for hours of play.—
Katrina Cossey,
Parents,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Joomra Trail Running Barefoot Shoes A tenet of barefoot shoes is that they are constructed with a wide toe box.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Prosecutors described Sanaa Cunningham’s death as the result of a murder plot concocted by her father and stepmother, Germayne and Lisa Cunningham, following months of abuse and neglect.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Swartz concocted this massive blockbuster trade idea, which sends Brown to his hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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From constructing ramps to inventing imaginative new worlds, Rail Racers proves Magna-Tiles are endlessly modular and fun.—
Emily Glover,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In 1993, the 20th-century monument was purchased and restored by the Bernats, the family of Spanish confectioner Enric Bernat, who invented and founded Chupa Chups lollipops.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Labels drum up anticipation for these releases by distributing different variants to different retailers, keeping a tight lid on which version each store will carry.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Sales in Greater China fell for the fifth straight quarter for the three months ended August 31 as Nike struggled to drum up demand in the face of stiff competition from domestic brands including Anta and Li-Ning.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trump up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trump%20up. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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