drum up

British  

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to evoke or obtain (support, business, etc) by solicitation or canvassing

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drum up Idioms  

1. 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]

2. Devise, invent, obtain, as in He hoped to drum up an alibi . [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

For years, Southwest stuck with a one-size-fits-all approach that fell out of sync with competitors, who went deeper into tiered fares and charging for different services as a way to drum up more profits.

From MarketWatch

Most company insiders tasked with drumming up new potential uses and products use a coded version to maintain the secrecy.

From The Wall Street Journal

On Monday, proponents rallied outside the Capitol to drum up support.

From Los Angeles Times

He also recently started offering happy-hour specials to try to drum up more business.

From The Wall Street Journal

Reform efforts can both help these companies—such as changes to regulation that remove zoning obstacles or drum up housing demand—or hurt them.

From Barron's

Related Words

• canvass
• solicit