as in invented
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in devised
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
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
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
Adjective
-
Several years ago, Amazon entrusted three unproven rockets—United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan, Blue Origin’s New Glenn, and Europe’s Ariane 6—to launch the bulk of the company’s constellation of more than 3,200 satellites.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
19 June 2026
-
Both companies are tied to confidence in Musk’s extremely ambitious visions, from humanoid robots taking a central role in the labor market to a massive constellation of data centers — both unproven concepts with immense technical challenges standing in their way.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Security firm Varonis devised an exploit chain that was able to catapult over these guardrails.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
16 June 2026
-
The researchers were Stanford psychologists carrying out an experiment on impulse control devised by Walter Mischel.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
The guardian approved fraudulent time sheets, and Davis paid the guardian kickbacks, the release says.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 June 2026
-
And in late 2025, Grady took on Meta (formerly called Facebook), including its affiliates Instagram and Whatsapp, for allowing fraudulent Chinese investment scams on its platforms.—
Shirsho Dasgupta,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
In the one that opens the film, Forky (Tony Hale), the googly-eyed spork, marries a plastic knife called Karen Beverly (Melissa Villaseñor), a name so perfectly unmelodious that only a kid, or an adult exceptionally good at thinking like one, could have concocted it.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
Every detail is accurate, though the picture as a whole is an invention, concocted from multiple views, locations, and studies.—
Susan Tallman,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Parts would be missing, or made-up.—
Kevin Brazil,
Harpers Magazine,
9 June 2026
-
The photos that flooded the internet amidst the Jenner-Levine hype featured Jenner in Paris (not her surgeon’s NYC office), professionally made-up, often wearing large sunglasses, and often filtered.—
Jolene Edgar,
Allure,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ferrari said the fire is complex because the building is a freezer constructed with insulated materials.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
The seven-story office building, constructed to look exactly like a Longaberger Basket (just REALLY BIG), has been a novelty along Route 16, and now the current owners have put it on the market.—
David Morgan,
CBS News,
19 June 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
Verb
-
Fermentation provided a way to preserve foods thousands of years before refrigeration was invented, and it was used to impart unique flavors and textures.—
Anahad O’Connor,
Washington Post,
17 June 2026
-
Remember Bonnie, the adorable five-year-old who inherited Andy’s old toys and, in a stroke of brilliance, invented one of her own by gluing a pair of googly eyes onto a cheap white spork?—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trumped-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trumped-up. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
