elaborate (on)

1
as in to exaggerate
to add to the interest of by including made-up details my friend tends to elaborate on his hiking experiences, turning an ordinary walk in the woods into a hair-raising adventure

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2
as in to develop
to express more fully and in greater detail the candidate for governor refused to elaborate on how she would balance the state's budget

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elaborate (on)
Verb
  • Second, the extent of the controversies has often been exaggerated: a handful of Trump supporters have stuck their heads above the parapet, the media have sniffed drama and written up stories about friction, and nothing has ultimately changed.
    Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 27 June 2025
  • One has been associated with a group that exaggerates the rare risks and harms of vaccines while casting doubt on their benefits.
    Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • As a result, Tehran has tried to balance Chinese influence by maintaining strong ties to India, Beijing’s chief rival within the developing world.
    Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 6 July 2025
  • Reef habitats support aquatic plants and animals, allowing young marine life to develop.
    Rafe Pomerance, Sun Sentinel, 6 July 2025
Verb
  • And this time, our impact wasn’t padding packers or improving the bottom line but creating a tangible difference in the lives of thousands of struggling families.
    Rachelle Rutherford, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Over the span of about a half a day, the jailer said, 53 inmates used the glitch to pad their commissary accounts, which can be used to buy things like food items and toiletries and to fund phone calls and other communications with the outside world.
    Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • In the last five years, the company has worked to expand internationally, with budding sectors in global markets including Latin America and the United States.
    Jem Aswad, Variety, 1 July 2025
  • Weeks later, the BBC expanded Frediani’s empire to include News at One.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • The group of rats that was fed a diet supplemented with chitosan expelled more MPs that any of the other groups.
    Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • Mütter’s bequest was eventually supplemented by donations from other physicians and scientists.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Elaborate (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elaborate%20%28on%29. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

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