sensationalize

verb

sen·​sa·​tion·​al·​ize sen-ˈsā-sh(ə-)nə-ˌlīz How to pronounce sensationalize (audio)
sensationalized; sensationalizing

transitive verb

: to present in a sensational manner

Examples of sensationalize in a Sentence

Journalists should report the news accurately without trying to sensationalize it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, sensationalized headlines do little to advance meaningful reform. Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025 The series jumps back and forth between the ensuing investigation and snapshots of Gacy’s victims to illustrate how police bias allowed his predation to continue and later, how the media sensationalized his crimes. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025 In court filings reviewed by Fox News Digital, the defense argued that prosecutors have stretched federal statutes beyond their intent and engaged in overreach meant to sensationalize the killing. Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025 Notoriety trailed Woodhull through her life, but, rather than sensationalizing her scandals, Collinsworth highlights Woodhull’s flair for reinvention, and her drive to set the terms by which she would be remembered. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sensationalize

Word History

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sensationalize was in 1863

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Cite this Entry

“Sensationalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sensationalize. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

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