To defeat or beat someone using a hidden advantage or trick, or to surpass something in importance.
From 'trump' (from Old French 'triomphe,' meaning triumph). In card games, a trump is a suit chosen to rank higher than others; by extension, 'trumped' means to beat with a superior card or advantage. The meaning generalized to mean overcoming anything through superior force.
Trump the card term predates Trump the person by centuries, but the 2016 U.S. election gave 'trumped up charges' a strange new life—the phrase 'trumped up' (meaning fabricated) suddenly shared a name with the political figure, creating unintended wordplay that linguists will study for years.
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