trumped-up 1 of 2

Definition of trumped-upnext

trumped up

2 of 2

verb

past tense of trump up

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 Erdogan’s government has thrown (or attempted to throw) a number of key political opponents into jail on what critics say are trumped-up, spurious charges. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 10 May 2023
Verb
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
Verb
  • One of the easiest ways for an AI maker to guide an LLM in mental health chats is to use a system-wide prompt devised by the AI maker.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
  • 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
Adjective
  • That sets up James, a 2025 fifth-round pick, and Black, a 2026 third-rounder, as McCaffrey’s unproven understudies who are listed with similar builds (5-foot-9, 208 pounds).
    Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
  • What The Labs Cannot Yet Do The economics of the FDE model are unproven outside Palantir.
    Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • With the trend away from toxic chemical control of plant pests and diseases, treatment formulas concocted from benign household products are on the rise.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 28 May 2026
  • Their fragrances were always concocted around a storyline.
    Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
Adjective
  • The fraudulent wagers resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in profits for bettors, prosecutors said.
    Tom Winter, NBC news, 28 May 2026
  • Those include persuading a critical number of merchants to accept payments from agents, while also determining who is responsible for failed and fraudulent transactions.
    Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • It was originally constructed in 1937 by Alfred Clark, a Bahamian carpenter who gifted it to family friend Jessie Bethel.
    Delia Rose Sauer, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
  • Early cages were constructed from chicken wire, until steel began to be used around the ’80s.
    Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Adjective
  • During his interview, Newsom spoke about his ongoing and very public feud with Trump, who received the inaugural (and made-up) FIFA Peace Prize in December.
    Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Cook said his team detected a variety of age manipulation: synthetic fraud, in which real, stolen and made-up information is used to create a new identity; identity fraud; and document fraud.
    Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Also referred to as petroleum jelly, which is the primary ingredient of Vaseline, it was invented during the 1800s as a cure-all balm and has become a household staple since.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 May 2026
  • The dessert was invented in 1910 by pastry chef Louis Durand, whose family’s bakery in Maisons-Laffitte, Maison Durand, still serves a Paris-Brest using the original recipe.
    Jen Rose Smith, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
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

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Cite this Entry

“Trumped-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trumped-up. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.

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