1
as in to exaggerate
to add to the interest of by including made-up details
the story of the comic marriage proposal was embellished as it passed from one generation to the next in the family
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to decorate
to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming
the walls of the French restaurant are embellished with scenes of Parisian life
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of embellish
Like most Rose Parade floats, the platform was brought to life by hundreds of volunteers — many skipping sleep on New Year’s Eve — who embellished it with corn husks, lentils, sesame seeds, orange slices and red carnations.
—
Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2026
Like Frey, Lowell was a self-dramatizing fraudster, taking elements of her real life and grandly embellishing them.
—Michael Waters, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026
The dress was completely embellished with shimmering sequins, adding a touch of Las Vegas sparkle to her look.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 31 Dec. 2025
But even then, there are hints of the flesh that could embellish this emaciated skeleton.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for embellish
Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2026
Like Frey, Lowell was a self-dramatizing fraudster, taking elements of her real life and grandly embellishing them.
—Michael Waters, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026
The dress was completely embellished with shimmering sequins, adding a touch of Las Vegas sparkle to her look.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 31 Dec. 2025
But even then, there are hints of the flesh that could embellish this emaciated skeleton.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for embellish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embellish
Verb
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The administration has repeatedly downplayed the benefits of immunization, while exaggerating the importance of nutritional supplementation for combatting measles.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
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Charlotte Tilbury shoppers also appreciate that the product doesn’t exaggerate or settle into their fine lines.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Her days are patterned, quiet, and slow; her toys make no clattering sounds, the nursery is decorated only in soothing, dim colors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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The site where Pretti was killed, on Nicollet Avenue near 26th Street, was decorated with hundreds of pillar and votive candles and dozens of flower bouquets and signs left by neighbors and mourners by midday Monday.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Securing agreements with multiple hyperscalers mitigates risk, stabilizes earnings, and enhances the credibility of the AI narrative to Wall Street.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The company's model allows organizations to extend, protect, and enhance functioning systems without mandatory upgrades, redirecting savings toward strategic priorities rather than following a vendor's timeline.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Cunio brothers sit side-by-side, not wanting to be apart for too long these days, and raise up their wrists, adorned with matching tattoos.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
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Upon entering the foyer, I was greeted by a growling animatronic Chewbacca, playfully adorned with a Christmas hat for the holiday season.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trump should ask himself whether stirring a hornet’s nest serves any purpose other than pointlessly alienating a benevolent neighbor that is beginning to pad its insurance policy by reaching out to non-hemispheric powers.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Also, lawmakers repeatedly castigated the insurance executives for trying to pad their profits by denying or delaying approval of the care doctors say their patients need.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Embellish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embellish. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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