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
Activist groups say the charges against him were trumped up.
—
Gabe Levin, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
Yes, his relationship with alcohol seems to be not great and complicated, but these charges still seem trumped up to me.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 June 2025
In their response, Petrova’s attorneys accused the government of trumping up criminal charges in a bid to prevent her bail and motions from being heard in federal court.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
And, while the charges were most likely trumped up, the city’s leaders were correct about one thing: Young people are highly suggestible.
—Patricia Schultheis, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2025
The work was banned by the Malian Ministry of Culture and Cissé was arrested and jailed on trumped up charges of accepting French funding.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025
Human rights groups and some Western countries have accused Iran of trying to win concessions from other nations through arrests on security charges that may have been trumped up.
—Fox News, 19 Feb. 2025
The Pennsylvania native was sentenced to 14 years on a drug smuggling charge that his family has said was trumped up, and the U.S. had called for his humanitarian release.
—Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2025
In the stage show, set in Argentina in 1983, political prisoner Valentín Arregui is transferred to a cell already occupied by Luis Molina, a gay window dresser convicted on trumped up charges of public indecency.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Gabe Levin, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
Yes, his relationship with alcohol seems to be not great and complicated, but these charges still seem trumped up to me.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 June 2025
In their response, Petrova’s attorneys accused the government of trumping up criminal charges in a bid to prevent her bail and motions from being heard in federal court.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
And, while the charges were most likely trumped up, the city’s leaders were correct about one thing: Young people are highly suggestible.
—Patricia Schultheis, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2025
The work was banned by the Malian Ministry of Culture and Cissé was arrested and jailed on trumped up charges of accepting French funding.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025
Human rights groups and some Western countries have accused Iran of trying to win concessions from other nations through arrests on security charges that may have been trumped up.
—Fox News, 19 Feb. 2025
The Pennsylvania native was sentenced to 14 years on a drug smuggling charge that his family has said was trumped up, and the U.S. had called for his humanitarian release.
—Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2025
In the stage show, set in Argentina in 1983, political prisoner Valentín Arregui is transferred to a cell already occupied by Luis Molina, a gay window dresser convicted on trumped up charges of public indecency.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trump up
Verb
-
This ignores a fundamental problem of innovation and inventiveness, which is that many of the innovative geniuses who devised transformative inventions failed to profit financially from their own ingenuity while more aggressive, entrepreneurial bystanders claimed credit and profit.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
-
The breath-freshener smell that Marks had devised was a combination of laurel leaves—peculiar to the modern sensibility, but not off-putting—and musk.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Available in 17 colors and in sizes up to a men’s 16, these flip-flops are constructed with squishy yoga mat footbeds that provide arch support and prevent foot fatigue while walking for long periods of time.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
9 July 2025
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For instance, reforms to Virginia’s Building Code lowered the cost of constructing a new home by over $24,000.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
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For its 86th summer season, Del Mar has concocted a schedule filled with food-centric festivities, sips, handicapping and tips, blended in with world-class thoroughbred racing.—
Kelley Carlson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 July 2025
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At the end of the semester, Domokos asked him to concoct a simple algorithm to explore how tetrahedra balance.—
Elise Cutts,
Quanta Magazine,
25 June 2025
Verb
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The brand that invented the nap dress is offering a sweet discount for the 4th: 20% off select styles, including many that are already on sale.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
4 July 2025
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Despite the wheel’s immeasurable impact, no one is certain as to who invented it, or when and where it was first conceived.—
Kai James,
JSTOR Daily,
3 July 2025
Verb
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At the time, PR mavens Max Rosey and Mortimer Matz thought a hot dog eating competition would drum up some publicity for Nathan’s.—
Elise Hammond,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
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In addition to her editing responsibilities, Wintour also supported significant initiatives to drum up retail sales, spearheading Fashion’s Night Out, which got off to a rousing start in 2009 but then ran out of steam by 2013.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trump up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trump%20up. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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