come up with something phrasal verb (
see also come)
1. to think of an idea, answer etc:
Is that the best excuse you can come up with? We’ve been asked to come up with some new ideas.2. informal to produce an amount of money:
We wanted to buy the house but we couldn’t come up with the cash. How am I supposed to come up with $10,000? [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲
invent to think of an idea for a new product, machine etc, and design it or make it:
The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. Who invented the Internet?create to make or design something new and original:
We decided to create the software ourselves. For her latest book, she has created a whole new group of characters.think of something/think up something to produce a new idea, plan, method, excuse etc by thinking:
I’ve thought of an idea. They’re always trying to think up new ways to improve efficiency.come up with something to produce a new idea, a way of dealing with something etc, especially a good one:
How did you come up with that idea? Ellis came up with the solution to the problem immediately.make something up to invent a story, song, game, excuse etc:
My mother used to make up bedtime stories for us. I didn’t want to go to the class, so I decided to make up an excuse.dream something up to think of an idea or plan, especially one that seems unusual or even crazy:
It can’t be easy dreaming up new advertisements all the time. I wonder who dreamt up that idea!devise formal to invent a way of doing something, especially one that is clever or complicated:
This system was devised as a way of measuring students’ progress.conceive formal to think of a new idea, plan etc and develop it in your mind:
The project was originally conceived by a Dutch businessman two years ago. [TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲