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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elaborate (on)
Verb
-
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 -
Charlotte Tilbury shoppers also appreciate that the product doesn’t exaggerate or settle into their fine lines.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Manus started developing its agentic AI tools — for tasks such as market research and data analysis — as a start-up in China, before relocating to Singapore.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
25 Jan. 2026
-
The Waffle House Index is an informal measure developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to gauge how a region is responding to a disaster.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
Jennie headlined Coachella as a solo artist while expanding her fashion ventures.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In recent years, auction houses have expanded their categories as luxury goods and collectibles have helped buoy their sales.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
By recovering rare earths, lithium, cobalt and nickel from end-of-life electronics, companies can supplement primary mining with a more stable, circular source of materials.—
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
According to Oppermann, the idea is to ultimately supplement, not replace, live music concerts.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
23 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Elaborate (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elaborate%20%28on%29. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
