draw up

British  

verb

1. to come or cause to come to a halt

2. (tr)

   1. to prepare a draft of (a legal document)

   2. to formulate and write out in appropriate form

      to draw up a contract

3. (used reflexively) to straighten oneself

4. to form or arrange (a body of soldiers, etc) in order or formation

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draw up Idioms  

1. Compose or write out in a set form, as in The lawyer drew up the contract . [First half of 1600s]

2. Arrange in order or formation, put in position, as in The band-leader drew up his players , or The officer drew up the troops . [c. 1600]

3. Bring or come to a halt, as in The car drew up to the curb . [Early 1800s]

4. draw oneself up . Assume an erect posture to express dignity or indignation. For example, She drew herself up and protested . [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

The French and German defence ministries are set to draw up a plan for defence cooperation "focused on a few realistic and relevant projects" at a forthcoming meeting, the official added.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

This means one can draw up a useful list of indicators of consciousness without having to agree on which of the current cognitive theories of consciousness is correct.

From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026

Twin hip motors draw up to 1,000 watts to power the carbon-fiber arms that apply force to your leg.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

Ask someone with imagination to draw up a workforce housing model.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

He gave a million dollars in seed money and hired an attorney to draw up papers for Partners in Health and its corresponding sister organization in Haiti, Zanmi Lasante.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

• formulate
• prepare
• write