magnify
verb
mag·ni·fy
ˈmag-nə-ˌfī 
magnified; magnifying
1
2
a
: to increase in significance : intensify
… real drama … will use ugliness to magnify beauty …—
Alan Mickle
Alan Mickle
b
: exaggerate
magnifies every minor issue to crisis proportions
3
: to enlarge in fact or in appearance
The lens magnified the image 100 times.
: to have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they are
a glass that magnifies greatly
Examples of magnify in a Sentence
The sound was magnified by the calm air.
His failures have been magnified by the success of his friends.
I don't want to magnify the importance of these problems.
The lens magnified the image 100 times.
a magnified view of the image
Recent Examples on the Web
Those tensions were magnified after Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, when progressives in New York began demonstrating against Israel’s retaliatory war in Gaza.
—Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
Technology was partly to blame for creating an environment which magnifies prejudices and weakens critical thinking, Leo said.
—Joshua McElwee, USA Today, 6 June 2026
Porter presented his analysis of security footage from inside Kuykendall Stadium, which was at times unclear due to the rainy weather on the day of the stabbing, and because footage had to be magnified to be clearly visible, according to WFAA’s Jobin Panicker.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2026
The effect could conceivably have come from stellar variability—a burp from the star rather than a light-magnifying PBH.
—Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for magnify
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Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
Technology was partly to blame for creating an environment which magnifies prejudices and weakens critical thinking, Leo said.
—Joshua McElwee, USA Today, 6 June 2026
Porter presented his analysis of security footage from inside Kuykendall Stadium, which was at times unclear due to the rainy weather on the day of the stabbing, and because footage had to be magnified to be clearly visible, according to WFAA’s Jobin Panicker.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2026
The effect could conceivably have come from stellar variability—a burp from the star rather than a light-magnifying PBH.
—Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for magnify
Cite this Entry
“Magnify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnify. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
magnify
verb
mag·ni·fy
ˈmag-nə-ˌfī
magnified; magnifying
2
a
: to increase in importance
b
3
: to enlarge in fact or in appearance
a microscope magnifies an object seen through it
magnifier
noun
-ˌfī(-ə)r
Medical Definition
magnify
verb
mag·ni·fy
ˈmag-nə-ˌfī
magnified; magnifying
: to enlarge in appearance
: to have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they are
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