exaggerates

verb

present tense third-person singular of exaggerate
1
as in enhances
to add to the interest of by including made-up details the American colonist John Smith is believed by many historians to have exaggerated his adventures

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overstates
to describe or express in too strong terms it would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of this entrance exam

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 exaggerates The best place to start is a sporting culture that exaggerates accomplishments and rewards capitalistic success before the sporting variety. — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 One sure focus is the rampant grade inflation that exaggerates student achievement and has made graduating high school close to meaningless as an indicator of college preparedness. — U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026 Drama hides a hero’s flaws; comedy exaggerates it. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 25 June 2026 Tristan Baker, head of performance at Go Perform, an athletics performance and coaching facility, and a former strength and conditioning coach at Reading, believes a still photograph exaggerates how unstable the movement appears. — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 17 June 2026 Perry has recently favored footwear that exaggerates a familiar evening shape. — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 13 June 2026 The case drew widespread attention because Dee Dee was suspected of having Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a form of abuse in which a caregiver exaggerates, fabricates or induces illness in someone under their care. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026 Dehydration exaggerates creases and makes skin look less supple. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026 Dehydration exaggerates creases and gives skin a texture that emphasizes lines. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exaggerates
  1. enhances
  2. overstates
  3. colors
  4. overdoes
  5. expands
  6. pads
  7. embellishes
  8. stretches
Verb
  • Last week, Prime Minister of New Zealand Christoper Luxon hailed the country’s free trade deal with India that also enhances labor mobility for Indian workers.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • Once plated, the steak remains at center stage, adorned with a drizzle of the bright, herbaceous chermoula, which enhances the meat without overpowering its rich flavor.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
Definition of enhances
Verb
  • Now the industry argues the standardized measure overstates risk.
    — Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • That overstates his closeness to the Russian president.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026
Definition of overstates
Verb
  • That history still colors how the company talks, less like a supplement label and more like a couple of people who have been through it.
    — Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 17 July 2026
  • This four-part series was made by people who love Burning Man, which definitely colors the doc — but at least the first episode shows the place off pretty well.
    — David Pierce, The Verge, 11 July 2026
Definition of colors
Verb
  • Her direction here wisely emphasizes the actors, and possibly overdoes it with the mirrors — lotta symbolically reflective surfaces and isolating frames within frames — but there’s never the sensation that the person behind the camera is winging it.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2026
  • Alexander’s staging occasionally overdoes the comic exuberance.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Definition of overdoes
Verb
  • Drivers who stop or park in Sacramento bike lanes could now face a steeper fine as the city expands its use of artificial intelligence to enforce parking rules.
    — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Production expands beyond laboratory scale The researchers have also made progress in manufacturing the material in larger quantities, an important step toward commercial deployment.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
Definition of expands
Verb
  • In other words, the additional money that our companies are shelling out to cover higher memory costs ultimately pads these three companies’ bottom lines.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 21 June 2026
  • Adding the killer’s voice just pads an already too-long book.
    — Maren Longbella, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Definition of pads
Verb
  • The material also embellishes the interior, where the center armrest, speaker covers, window buttons, and gear shift are among the areas of application.
    — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 30 June 2026
  • It’s also been cited as what’s wrong with basketball, as he’s been labeled a player who embellishes contact, resulting in opportunities at the free-throw line.
    — Jason Jones, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Definition of embellishes
Verb
  • The 28216 zip code stretches northwest from just north of uptown past I-485.
    — Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2026
  • The Licking ranch sits within the Hell Creek Formation, a legendary geological boneyard that stretches across Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 13 July 2026
Definition of stretches

Browse Nearby Words

exaggerated
exaggerates
exaggerating
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exaggerates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exaggerates. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on exaggerates

Nglish: Translation of exaggerates for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of stalwart

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All