trumped-up 1 of 2

Definition of trumped-upnext

trumped up

2 of 2

verb

past tense of trump up

Example Sentences

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 trumped-up
Adjective
The charge was clearly trumped-up, but Yundi was immediately taken off all Chinese stages and media and prevented from going abroad. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 22 Nov. 2023 Erdogan’s government has thrown (or attempted to throw) a number of key political opponents into jail on what critics say are trumped-up, spurious charges. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 10 May 2023
Verb
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 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 trumped-up
Verb
  • First canals and then locks were devised to guide boats around the falls.
    Adam Sachs, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Suno devised all the vocals, instrumentation, arrangements, production, mixing and mastering for all of Tempchin’s songs on both those albums.
    George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • That, coupled with e-commerce and social media algorithms, can result in people seeing a huge amount of content about unproven treatments.
    Kerry Breen, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Sarepta, which laid off more than one-third of its workforce last year after multiple patient deaths derailed its top-selling gene therapy for muscular dystrophy, has staked its future on a pipeline of unproven treatments for related conditions.
    Damian Garde, STAT, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, scientists identified the virus, deciphered its secrets, concocted a vaccine, put it into production, and rendered the disease manageable – all within a year.
    David Blumenthal, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Wholesome content, but entirely concocted.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Cherfilus-McCormick is charged with 15 counts, including theft of government funds, money laundering, making and receiving straw donor contributions, and aiding and assisting the preparation of a false and fraudulent statement on a tax return.
    Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Both men sold drugs to fund their fraudulent transactions, prosecutors said.
    Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Located on the west side of the district, the schools were constructed up to 102 years ago.
    Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Operated by Heartland Fire and Rescue, the station is located in Fletcher Hills and was constructed in 1960 with a single apparatus bay and a shared dormitory.
    Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • During his interview, Newsom spoke about his ongoing and very public feud with Trump, who received the inaugural (and made-up) FIFA Peace Prize in December.
    Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Cook said his team detected a variety of age manipulation: synthetic fraud, in which real, stolen and made-up information is used to create a new identity; identity fraud; and document fraud.
    Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • While the hero existed — as did Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, or at least musketeers with similar names — most of the actual stories are invented, either by the sensationalist biographer or Dumas himself.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026
  • But it was invented by the same guy who invented the Sling, Ngiam Tong Boon, in the same year, 1915.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.
    Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Supporters of recent state AI regulations said the measures will address potential threats to public safety and personal privacy, and to counter any mendacious actions created by AI, while not hindering innovation.
    Hope Moses, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Trumped-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trumped-up. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

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