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 last year announced a goal to double Canada’s non-U.S. exports by 2035 and has been crisscrossing the globe to drum up investment for Canada.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Fintech firm Clear Street pulled the plug on its IPO plans in February after failing to drum up enough interest, blaming market volatility.
From Barron's • May 17, 2026
Drake's also staged a series of stunts to drum up hype for Iceman.
From BBC • May 15, 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
His lawyer claimed the police were harassing people in the neighborhood, trying to drum up shaky evidence and confessions.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
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.
