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Synonyms

trumped-up

American  
[truhmpt-uhp] / ˈtrʌmptˈʌp /

adjective

  1. spuriously devised; fraudulent; fabricated.

    He was arrested on some trumped-up charge.

Etymology

Origin of trumped-up

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

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.

Mr. Lai has been in prison on trumped-up charges ever since.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025

Instead, they were arrested on trumped-up obscenity charges and subjected to expensive litigation before the case against them was thrown out for lack of evidence.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2024

Alexei Navalny is Russia’s best-known opposition politician, whose health has been deteriorating since he was jailed on trumped-up charges in 2021.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2023

Ziane was an outspoken critic of Moroccan public authorities and has defended many journalists taken to court in what human rights advocates have called trumped-up charges.

From Reuters • Nov. 21, 2022

And it felt so good to sing with those trumped-up, hound-dog country accents.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green

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.