trumped-up 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of trumped-upnext
as in invented

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trumped up

2 of 2

verb

past tense of trump up
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
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
Verb
Both men pleaded guilty to gun possession and their attorneys argued that police trumped up the tipster’s unverified claims to go after them. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 28 July 2026 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
  1. unproven
  2. devised
  3. fraudulent
  4. concocted
  5. made-up
  6. constructed
  7. mendacious
  8. invented
Adjective
  • In the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the death toll had climbed to 200, thousands had become sick and the president was touting unproven treatments.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In Congress, Republicans aimed at Fauci more frequently and pushed the unproven theory that the coronavirus was created at a lab in Wuhan, China, instead of spreading from animal to human, as Fauci believed.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of unproven
Verb
  • Advertisement As Claude began completing such tasks too reliably to reveal much, Freeman devised a test closer to the messiness of the real world.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
  • What subterfuge has the author devised within a sentence, and what chills of humor or irony will run across its surface as the subterfuge is discovered?
    — Sabrina Jaszi, The Dial, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of devised
Adjective
  • The fraudulent registration charge is a misdemeanor; the other two are felonies, involving activity during September 2024 and October 2025, pending in the 39th District Court in Macomb County.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Two insurance companies affiliated with Walters happen to be under federal investigation for potential fraudulent loans, according to the Los Angeles Times.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fraudulent
Verb
  • The cocktail menu leans into the couple’s heritage with some Argentine staples, including the El Clásico of Fernet and Coke and El Diego, concocted with sweet vermouth, Coke and a splash of whiskey.
    — Rick West, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • What Roth, and his longtime screenwriting partner Noah Belson have concocted is an unfleshed-out idea that is just left with the flesh.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of concocted
Adjective
  • Perfectly made-up, everything in place.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2026
  • Parts would be missing, or made-up.
    — Kevin Brazil, Harpers Magazine, 9 June 2026
Definition of made-up
Verb
  • Homes can be visually inspected for compliance from the outside, and enclosing the ground level area for living space after the home is constructed and approved for occupancy would draw a reverse work order.
    — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • This is what Prada, in collaboration with 2x4, an environments and branding firm, has constructed around its flagship Fifth Avenue building this spring.
    — Lauren Sinclair, Curbed, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of constructed
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
Definition of mendacious
Verb
  • Bob Iger, who built Disney around owning stories the world already loved, is now buying the story Buss invented.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Characters like Roth have always invented themselves in New York.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of invented

Browse Nearby Words

trumped
trumped-up
trumped up
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Cite this Entry

“Trumped-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trumped-up. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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