magnify

verb

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mag·ni·fy | \ ˈmag-nə-ˌfī

magnified; magnifying

Definition of magnify

transitive verb

1a : extol, laud while they magnified the art, they often belittled the artist— Havelock Ellis

b : to cause to be held in greater esteem or respect

2a : to increase in significance : intensify real drama … will use ugliness to magnify beauty— 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.

intransitive verb

: to have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they are a glass that magnifies greatly

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about magnify

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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 In a one-run game, every mistake and bad break is magnified. — Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati.com, "Trevor Bauer strikes out 11; Cincinnati Reds' mistakes add up in loss to San Diego Padres," 19 Aug. 2019 Those fears were magnified in the general election of November 16, 1919. — Joseph Loconte, National Review, "Mussolini and the End of Liberal Democracy," 25 June 2019 The impact on the Red Sox season has been considerable , and magnified by the fact that Cora typically uses his best relievers in an effort to secure those games. — Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, "It’s not the blown saves dragging down Red Sox, it’s this.," 1 Sep. 2019 Peer at flowers magnified by microscopes, then dive into understanding the crucial role of bees, our most diligent pollinators. — Web Behrens, chicagotribune.com, "15 things to do with the kids July 22-28," 21 July 2019 Creative participants come wielding a range of homemade contraptions, including mirrors, aluminum foil and magnifying glasses. — Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, "Attempting to Fry an Egg on the Sidewalk Has Been a Summer Pastime for Over 100 Years," 4 July 2019 Brinson’s struggles have only been magnified with the immense success of Yelich. — Wells Dusenbury, sun-sentinel.com, "As struggles continue, fixing Lewis Brinson’s swing has been a ‘battle’ for Marlins," 10 Sep. 2019 But on Monday, Michoacan Gov. Silvano Aureoles denied there was any resurgence of the vigilante movement, saying the confrontations had been magnified and were turf battles between drug gangs. — Washington Post, "Mexican official denies vigilante movement has reignited," 5 Sep. 2019 And then over time your risk gets magnified, as this global jihadist threat has multiple theaters from which to operate. — CBS News, "Transcript: Michael Vickers talks with Michael Morell on "Intelligence Matters"," 28 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'magnify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.