as in to devise
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
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Recent Examples of trump up
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
The funding that currently pays state law enforcement overtime to trump up charges against those suspected.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 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
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
The funding that currently pays state law enforcement overtime to trump up charges against those suspected.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 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 trump up
Verb
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Jessica Guynn has a story about a music teacher who devised a new teaching method around a notation system based on languages students already knew – their ABCs and 123s.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
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Working with industry qubits Imec’s genius is not in devising a new kind of qubit but in using one that’s the easiest to scale.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
26 May 2026
Verb
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But constructing ever-bulkier hardware rapidly runs into physical and economic obstacles that limit the size of any single telescope and the sharpness of our cosmic views.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
27 May 2026
-
The former Dolphins standout joins a lineup at the position that also features Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant, Franklin and Mims as locks to make the roster as it is currently constructed.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Their fragrances were always concocted around a storyline.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
20 May 2026
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Driver’s character concocts a way for the duo to start an environmental business together as Russians, largely the mafia, are involved in recalibrating a canal in New York City.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Though many other antibiotics have since been invented, penicillin remains widely used today and is the cornerstone for treating some bacterial infections, such as strep throat and syphilis.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
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There was Solresol, an early-nineteenth-century language based on musical notation, and the largely monosyllabic Volapük, invented by a German Catholic priest who believed himself to be divinely inspired.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Verb
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After gracing Vanity Fair in recent weeks, while at the same time drumming up a firestorm with his comments about past racial tensions in Oxford hampering some recruiting, Kiffin obviously showed a lighter side.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 May 2026
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Organizations like the Camden County chapter of the NAACP and the ACLU-NJ drummed up attention to these figures by issuing announcements and press briefings.—
John A. Shjarback,
The Conversation,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trump up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trump%20up. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
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