trumped-up

American  

[truhmpt-uhp] / ˈtrʌmptˈʌp /

adjective

1. spuriously devised; fraudulent; fabricated.

   He was arrested on some trumped-up charge.

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Etymology

Origin of trumped-up

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

Explanation

Something that's trumped-up is faked or fabricated to use as an excuse. You might be tempted to tell your parents a trumped-up story about a mean math teacher to explain a bad grade. When you hear about someone being arrested on "trumped-up charges," that means that they've been falsely accused. There's a sense of exaggeration in this term, as well—if your excuse for being late is trumped-up, you're concocting extra details to make it sound more impressive. Trumped-up was first recorded in the early 18th century, and it comes from the idiomatic trump up, "devise deceitfully or dishonestly."