as in decorative
serving to add beauty
the chef tends to overuse sprigs of parsley and other embellishing garnishes on dishes that don't need them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in exaggerating
to add to the interest of by including made-up details
the story of the comic marriage proposal was embellished as it passed from one generation to the next in the family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decorating
to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming
the walls of the French restaurant are embellished with scenes of Parisian life
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of embellishing
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The sweater’s drop shoulder gives it a relaxed look, and the patch pockets on the pants are both practical and embellishing.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
Inch by inch, the AI aids the person in embellishing the delusion.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The sweater’s drop shoulder gives it a relaxed look, and the patch pockets on the pants are both practical and embellishing.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embellishing
Adjective
-
Five centuries on, and designers have come full circle, returning to small, utilitarian spaces to make big decorative statements.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Washing and disinfecting decorative pumpkins removes fungal spores and will slow that process down.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Roman wondered, perhaps exaggerating the growth and maturity of Alt over the past 12 months.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Bronstein says the lines between reality and what appears to be reality are blurred as bragging spills over to personal lives and work, projecting, exaggerating and competing for attention.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Offset spatula This decorating tool is a skinny, rectangular spatula used to assist in smoothing icing, which will give your cake a polished finish.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Spoon out 2 tablespoons of nuts to a small bowl; set aside for decorating.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Pumpkins, gourds, and ornamental corn all have a place, too.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Indiana has rich biodiversity with thousands of species in unique habitats, but the ornamental plant trade, globalization and development have introduced new threats to these ecosystems.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Celebrating the start of New York Fashion Week, both actresses arrived at the Central Park Boathouse for the Veuve Clicquot dinner hosted by Jacquemus designer Simon Porte with the same copper hair coloring.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Her attraction to coloring books presaged her minimal style.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Where Old-World Wallpaper Works Best Historically, wallpaper began adorning cupboard interiors and modest rooms of merchant homes.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
-
And for years running up to the current era, this has applied to sponsors adorning cars and tracks with their logos.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Mahomes is also padding his long list of sponsors, partnering with Airbnb and Hublot and agreeing to autograph Panini trading cards for the first time in five years.—
Brett Knight,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Still, after whupping the White Sox 10-4 on Thursday night, Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger asserted that there's no shame in padding the record against low-quality competition, which is objectively true.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But Franc Fernandez, the designer of the dress that is today on display at the Park MGM in Las Vegas, had worked three long days to create it, draping butcher cuts on a mannequin torso.—
Steve Knopper,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
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The ensemble featured a visible black underwire and corset boning at the bust and torso, while the sheer black fabric created an illusion of draping around her bust and the rest of her body.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Embellishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embellishing. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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