ELABORATION Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

elaboration

noun

as in evolution

the act or process of going from the simple or basic to the complex or advanced the elaboration of the Internet from an exclusive computer network into a worldwide communications network of colossal proportions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in exaggeration

the representation of something in terms that go beyond the facts the eyewitness was deemed unreliable because of his obvious elaboration of what he had actually seen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of elaboration To highlight his creative process, instead of a look book, Mabire-Larguier showcased the toile of his design on a dummy at the entrance to the studio, with pattern-marks and pins on show, all the better to signify the technique involved in its elaboration. —

Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 29 Jan. 2026 Her entry was the shortest in the statement and included no elaboration. —

Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026 Jackson acknowledged only that circumstances changed — without elaboration. —

Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026 Juicy, whole lobster served grilled or blackened is best, though the menu at this famous haunt features every possible elaboration of the dish. —

Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026 Two other things come up in the conversation that need some clarification and elaboration. —

Brian Moylan, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2026 Trump’s statement about Iran included no elaboration or specific plan for military action. —

Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026 At a time when Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, and Cervantes were weaving verbal spells upon the stage, music must have seemed a superfluous addition—just as, in England, the mighty lines of Marlowe and Shakespeare hardly cried out for melodic elaboration. —

Alex Ross, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025 Detail of the hand of a scientist working on a microscope in the elaboration of the rapid molecular test for COVID 19 on August 12, 2020 in Lima, Peru. —

Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elaboration

Noun

One song on Laughter in Summer defines Copeland’s evolution, both musical and spiritual.

— Matthew Blackwell, Pitchfork, 17 Feb. 2026
Foley anticipates more bachelor’s degrees in the future, reflecting the college’s evolution to meet workforce needs and support returning students.

— Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 17 Feb. 2026