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

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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

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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 They mystery deepened when co-host Craig Melvin acknowledged Roker’s absence with little elaboration. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026 In ‘Air Ride’, the narrator’s—and apparent interlocutor’s—consistent silence emphasises the erratic nature of Sepp’s elaborations on beauty, music, frocks and landscape. — Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026 Co-owner Gary Worden confirmed the report without much elaboration. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026 Lodged among these fiery complaints, the declaration’s single grievance about taxation — unadorned by elaboration or explanation — seems almost tepid. — Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 The navy did not say how the 16 were encountered, and the Salvadoran military did not respond to requests for elaboration. — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026 Blue home shirts, with not much detail or elaboration, beyond a red collar and some other brief splashes of colour. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 12 June 2026 But only two days later, the operation was put on hold without much elaboration, other than that Pakistan and other countries requested it to move negotiations forward that would end the war. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 7 May 2026 Far from settling the debate, Thursday’s elaborations are likely to only further stoke the controversy. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 7 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elaboration

Noun

The evolution of land plants and the development of soil go hand in hand—as these pioneering plants, trees, and animals died and their decomposing remains were recycled on land, by fungi and the first soil invertebrates, modern soils began to form.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
This focus on long-distance luxury marks a full-circle evolution for the British crossover.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of evolution

Noun

Hours at a time isn’t an exaggeration, especially since the 14S lasted a jaw-dropping 38 hours and 29 minutes in our video testing, which is the kind of endurance coffee shop dwellers can only dream about.

— Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
While that’s an exaggeration by Cole’s lofty standards, one thing is certain with the playoffs nearing.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of exaggeration

Noun

Benedict said the process would ideally take a couple of years, with much of the development time spent on design work and virtual simulations before the physical construction began.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
By coordinating manufacturing, research, and clinical development with partners like Japan, South Korea, Europe, and India, America can build a more secure but still economically viable alternative to Chinese developers.

— Patrick McHenry, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of development

Noun

The Government Accountability Office said an earlier effort conducted six sensor-enhancement flight demonstrations in 2024 before the follow-on program was established.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
Funding for the project is included in the city’s operating and maintenance budget under community enhancement funds, according to the staff report.

— Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of enhancement

Noun

That threat is precisely why many of our friends and former colleagues in Washington have recently proposed sweeping measures meant to slow China’s biotech progress.

— Patrick McHenry, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
Progress in talks will be a main focus for markets, as regional mediators push for ceasefire negotiations, said Mahmoud Mashal, senior market analyst of VT Markets Dubai, adding that any meaningful progress could drive crude lower.

— Justina Lee, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of progress

Noun

But Iñárritu’s caricatures become people in a way Kubrick’s don’t; as the bewildered President, for example, John Goodman is simultaneously grounded and theatrical in his presentation, recalling his best work with the Coen brothers.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
Instead of digging into the details of personality and circumstance — this school has a specific class for Shakespeare and also English teachers who are literature-hating caricatures?

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of caricature

Noun

What makes this progression significant is that each stage creates opportunities for detection and intervention.

— Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
New research presented at an international cancer conference this week suggests that unhealthy sleeping patterns may contribute to the development and progression of breast cancer.

— David Cox, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of progression

Noun

This is where your warm-up becomes most specific to your needs, and where generic stretching and movement most often fall short.

— Dana Santas, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Options include playing soft music when work ends, taking a mindful shower focused on water and breathing or doing five to 10 minutes of gentle stretching.

— Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of stretching

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“Elaboration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elaboration. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of elaboration

noun

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