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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trump up
Verb
-
So that problematic defense has come around, thanks to whatever Mike Brown, his coaching staff and the players have devised or re-emphasized together.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
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As the child incessantly cries day and night, Henry begins to have surreal visions that only an innovative mind like Lynch's could devise.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kane often complains on social media that state gaming laws were constructed with traditional sportsbooks in mind, a process that failed to conceptualize exchanges.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
They were deliberately constructed to justify enslavement, land theft and unequal treatment under the law.—
Rosalind Osgood,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Paul Simon, who was headed to retirement amid debilitating hearing loss, has concocted a helpful new stage monitor setup that has him back on the road.—
BRIAN MCCOLLUM,
Freep.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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Galen concocted medicines that seem strange to modern ears, such as treating ailments like inflammation with feces sprinkled with thyme to mask the odor.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Little would the playwright have imagined that something yet to be invented called social media would one day be more powerful than swords, bullets and bombs.—
Sandeep Gopalan,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Ancient Greek astronomers made important observations regarding the night sky long before the first telescope was invented in the 1600s.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While not required, developers bring projects before the body to drum up support.—
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
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One exception is Mario Guerrero, a contractor and executive director of the South Texas Builders Association who has been meeting with members of Congress to try and drum up resistance to the detention of migrants without criminal records.—
James Osborne,
Houston Chronicle,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trump up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trump%20up. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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