drum up
Britishverb
-
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]
-
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.
"Avengers: Endgame" dusted competitors in the North American weekend box office, as the 2019 super hero film was re-released in a bid to drum up support for the franchise.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
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 DGA and IATSE’s unusual missive comes as Paramount has been trying to drum up support for the deal and while projects reportedly are being put on hold.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
China's animal lovers have now taken their fight offline and abroad, even putting up billboards in New York to drum up support.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The agent smiled; Rudy Noyes did not drum up even the faintest wisp or flicker of amusement.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
