1
as in stopping
to bring (something) to a standstill
he drew up his horse outside the tavern
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in classifying
to put into a particular arrangement
drew up the troops into a line along the ridge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in preparing
to put (something) into proper and usually carefully worked out written form
draw up a proposal and submit it to the committee for approval
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drawing up
With 80-120 active members and monthly tournaments drawing up to 80 players, the club thrives on human interaction.
—
Sara Hansen, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
As a Biden aide told us, allocating scarce vaccines felt like drawing up Schindler’s list.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Geno Auriemma and his players drawing up plays with breakfast items for a hotel chain.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
British ministers are drawing up plans to send minesweeping drones to the Strait of Hormuz after Iran threatened ships traveling through the vital oil route.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 16 Mar. 2026
Ryan was heavily involved with drawing up trick plays for former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and is lauded for his creativity.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Certain assistants are also tasked with drawing up each opponents’ plays as part of weekly preparation.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 26 Feb. 2026
While the Blue Lagoon—its waters milky with mineral-rich silica—remains the most famous, drawing up to a million visitors a year, smaller, less touristy lagoons have been appearing across the country, from Sky Lagoon on Kársnes Harbour near Reykjavik to Forest Lagoon in Iceland’s far north.
—Rick Jordan, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Santa Clara police, who have been drawing up security for 49ers games and other major events since the venue opened in 2014 — and who helped host Super Bowl 50, the stadium’s first NFL championship, in 2016 — have been guarded about releasing even broad security details.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026
Sara Hansen, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
As a Biden aide told us, allocating scarce vaccines felt like drawing up Schindler’s list.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Geno Auriemma and his players drawing up plays with breakfast items for a hotel chain.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
British ministers are drawing up plans to send minesweeping drones to the Strait of Hormuz after Iran threatened ships traveling through the vital oil route.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 16 Mar. 2026
Ryan was heavily involved with drawing up trick plays for former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and is lauded for his creativity.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Certain assistants are also tasked with drawing up each opponents’ plays as part of weekly preparation.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 26 Feb. 2026
While the Blue Lagoon—its waters milky with mineral-rich silica—remains the most famous, drawing up to a million visitors a year, smaller, less touristy lagoons have been appearing across the country, from Sky Lagoon on Kársnes Harbour near Reykjavik to Forest Lagoon in Iceland’s far north.
—Rick Jordan, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Santa Clara police, who have been drawing up security for 49ers games and other major events since the venue opened in 2014 — and who helped host Super Bowl 50, the stadium’s first NFL championship, in 2016 — have been guarded about releasing even broad security details.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drawing up
Verb
-
That led many to believe that, while treatments and crisis care are vital, the goal of suicide prevention needs to expand beyond stopping people from dying to also giving them reasons to live.—
Aneri Pattani,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Bain walked purposefully, never slowing, never stopping — not even to size himself up in his new Bucs hat in the mirror — before striding onstage for a hug with the commissioner.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The funeral home building was demolished in 2024 after the EPA condemned it, classifying it as a toxic waste site.—
Brian Sherrod,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Whether the law survives looming legal challenges—rooted in a 1933 state Supreme Court ruling classifying income as property—remains an open question.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The two were caught on camera by fellow passengers who were filming while the plane was on the runway preparing for takeoff.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The British Embassy in Washington, DC, posted a video on social media on April 27 giving people a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into preparing afternoon tea for 650 people.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What was clear was that progress toward a universal theory of ultrafinitism has been halting in part because there has been no one clear motivation for the movement, or any singular approach to deciding what its underlying logic should look like.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Blue Owl was among the poster children of this phenomenon, halting quarterly redemptions in OBDC II in mid-February, and opting instead to return capital periodically through portfolio asset sales.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ballmer steadfastly denies arranging the deal between Aspiration and Leonard, who by all accounts performed no duties for Aspiration.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Just three weeks ago, Vancouver Police reported five incidents involving a man allegedly robbing people after arranging to meet with him, to sell the suspect Pokémon cards.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The songs are by composing legend Mike Stoller, now 93, and a master tunesmith during the era in which much of the story spans.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The track has been newly mixed and mastered and features Prince producing, arranging, composing and performing all instrumentation.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The changes come after several high-profile problems involving autonomous vehicles in San Francisco, including Waymo vehicles stalling and blocking intersections during a blackout in December.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The veterans have reached a compromise with the administration, stalling the lawsuit for now, with a promise that the administration will follow the legal process to build the arch.—
Emily Guskin,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Parents are also organizing a bake sale at the event, and a direct donation campaign is underway.—
Amy Stark Shireman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
During Barack Obama’s presidency, conservative funders invested in grassroots organizing to beat the left’s turnout and persuasion machines.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drawing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drawing%20up. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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