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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vamp (up)
Verb
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For instance, in 2020, Hendon’s lab helped devise a mathematical model for brewing the perfect cup of espresso, over and over, while minimizing waste.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026 -
The Oak Park community united earlier this month to devise a plan to address public health in the absence of the hospital.—
Cam'ron Hardy,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nguyen and Akhavan also worked with architects and engineers to make the necessary alternations to Canada’s permanent building in the Giardini, while protecting the tree that it is constructed around.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
6 May 2026
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Large infrastructure projects like this one are complex — a two-mile bridge can’t be designed or constructed overnight.—
Katie Thomson,
Baltimore Sun,
6 May 2026
Verb
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For decades, astronomers have concocted intricate computer models to predict how stars live and die.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
3 May 2026
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Just how defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will concoct and deploy that approach, of course, will be a work in progress.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Major motion pictures partnering with brands to promote movies is the norm now, a practice that has evolved as quickly as technology has since the iPhone was invented in 2007, which can sometimes feel like an attack on your nervous system.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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The city doesn’t need to invent a solution.—
Louis Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Brannan’s scheme to drum up business became a useful tale of American ingenuity.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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That’s also drumming up the perception that the Fed is leaning toward lowering rates, which the three Fed presidents who dissented are firmly against.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Vamp (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vamp%20%28up%29. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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