trumped-up

[ truhmpt-uhp ]

adjective

1. spuriously devised; fraudulent; fabricated:

   He was arrested on some trumped-up charge.

Word History and Origins

Origin of trumped-up¹

1720–30; special use of trump ¹; -ed ²

Example Sentences

We need to separate trumped-up fears from the legitimate ones.

From The Daily Beast

The depositions of other officers suggested that the “property damage” charges were not just bizarre, but trumped up.

From The Daily Beast

Three Al Jazeera journalists have been jailed in Egypt on trumped-up charges of collaborating with the Muslim Brotherhood.

From The Daily Beast

No issue better captures the dysfunction of Washington than the trumped up debate over the Keystone XL pipeline.

From The Daily Beast

It explains why a trumped up story of online vitriol—we are, mind you, talking about Jeopardy!

From The Daily Beast

But he failed to impose upon the Colonel, and was even far from impressing him with this trumped-up knowledge of bygone days.

From Project Gutenberg

"It is a cowardly pretext on the part of the citizens, trumped up to save their property for the Yankees," said he.

From Project Gutenberg

Robber raids they called these wars which he waged for trumped-up pretexts.

From Project Gutenberg

With the connivance of a corrupt police force, Tim can even ruin him on a trumped-up charge.

From Project Gutenberg

Then she began to ask herself if he had spoken the truth, or had trumped up this story to frighten her?

From Project Gutenberg