as in to devise
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
political spin doctors who can vamp up a justification for just about anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vamp (up)
Verb
-
This long-standing principle originated with Robert Freilich, a consultant hired in the early 1970s by Mayor Pete Wilson to devise a growth management strategy for San Diego.—
Nico Calavita,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026 -
Just days after German tanks rolled into Denmark in April 1940, Allied officials huddled to devise ways to protect Ivittuut’s magical mineral.—
Thomas Robertson,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Six of the skiers huddled in a makeshift shelter constructed with tarpaulin sheets.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Inspired by musical festival culture, his design practice is rooted in the expression of haute couture craftsmanship by constructing rich visual narratives and deconstructed techniques with surreal and absurdity coexisting.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Since the advent of TV and radio, public figures have concocted deliberate soundbites to stick out and persuade the public.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Reporters including Sheen can be seen concocting covert plots to meet with them face to face, the success or failure of which briefly becomes an intense point of interest.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That all stopped once the dreaded *69 was invented, and with just three buttons people could discover who was on the other end of the line.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Yet, like Bessette’s relationship with the Kennedy family scion, her eternity band is shrouded in mystery—imperfectly recorded through rumors, second-hand accounts, and myths invented by the press and populace.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Schanelec drums up this particular time period with such focus on the moving parts that we are left knowing that change is the only constant.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Chalamet was vital in drumming up the momentum for the original film, which remained a theatrical draw due to rave reviews and stellar word of mouth.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Vamp (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vamp%20%28up%29. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
