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Glite Dictionary
trumped-up

trumped-up

9 7.9
Fake charges made to blame someone unfairly
  • adjective
  • /ˈtrʌmpt ʌp/
translation icon : falsificado
  • It was a trumped up charge.
  • trumped-up charges

Dsalls doesn't take this will and uses his political influence to have Valentino arrested on trumped up vice charges.

Examples

  • Two dozen Pforzheim Jews were arrested on trumped-up charges and sent to Dachau concentration camp.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Many journalists face trumped-up charges when investigating corruption in the government.

  • The five of us were brought in on a trumped-up charge.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • One thing's for sure, this has nothing to do with the trumped-up accusation.

    Blog text (1)

  • At the beginning of his reign, Sogenus had him arrested on trumped up charges of treason.

  • He was arrested in October 2003 on trumped-up charges of tax evasion, fraud, and money laundering.

    Academic text (2011)

  • On January 29, Egyptian security forces arrested Ayman Nour, leader of the opposition Ghad Party, on trumped-up forgery charges.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The politician was taken into custody on a trumped-up accusation that prompted widespread outrage.

  • The activists were wrongfully imprisoned due to a trumped-up case that lacked any real evidence.

Synonyms

put-up
vstrumped-up
  • Informal
1 8.1

Arranged secretly to make something look real but trick people

aims to create false charges rather than involve secret planning
pretextual
vstrumped-up
1 9.0

Made for a false reason to hide the real purpose

aims to blame someone with a false accusation rather than hide motives
fabricated
vstrumped-up
6.0

Made up and not true, often to trick people

aims specifically to make false accusations against someone
pretended
vstrumped-up
4.7

Made to seem real to trick people

aims to make someone look guilty rather than merely seem real
feigned
vstrumped-up
6.8

Pretended to be true to make others believe it

aims to invent an accusation to deceive rather than be an insincere show

Antonyms

genuine
156 3.2

Truly felt and not fake, for example a smile or apology

truthful
121 1.3

Always saying what really happened and not lying

How False

trumped-up
9 7.9
false
715 1.0
unfounded
46 5.6
mistaken
266 3.4

Surface Forms

trumped-up positive

Morphology

trumped-up = trump up (transparent) = trump + up + ed

The adjective is the past participle form of the phrasal verb 'trump up' (to fabricate), so the meaning is directly derived.

Etymology

The word trumped-up comes from the phrase trump up, which means 'to make up' or 'invent' something to trick people. Think of trump, a strong playing card used 'to win'. A 'trumped-up' charge is a false accusation put together to beat or punish someone, so it now means a deliberately false or invented accusation.