drum up
Britishverb
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Bring about by persistent effort, as in I'm trying to drum up more customers , or We have to drum up support for this amendment . This expression alludes to making repeated drumbeats. [Mid-1800s]
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Devise, invent, obtain, as in He hoped to drum up an alibi . [Mid-1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He said that publishing online can make work more accessible to new readers, although most people publish shorter excerpts to drum up attention for a book that readers will eventually want to pay for.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
The public offering is expected to hit the market next month after a “road show” during which SpaceX will seek to drum up interest from both institutional and retail investors.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
“Madame X” was seen as Sargent’s calculated attempt to drum up attention, and Gautreau’s aim for the kind of legitimacy that sitting for one of Paris’ great artists could afford.
From Salon ● May 6, 2026
Launched to drum up demand during the Covid pandemic, it cost £20 a month for up to five free drinks a day and discounted food.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
Picture all the student participation I haven’t been able to drum up over the years cashing in at the same time—with interest.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
