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.
Their release comes as authorities continue to try to drum up leads in the case, which garnered national attention.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 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
Friar struggled to drum up investor interest, who were turned off by the company’s losses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 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
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.
