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
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Recent Examples of exaggerates
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
This percentage is credible for new sales, but the talking point exaggerates the overall share of housing in investors’ hands and who owns them.
—Chris Doody, Houston Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026
The same prime minister who exaggerates his power is also fine with being portrayed as the patsy of more influential actors.
—Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025
Tainy’s Prometheus — is portrayed by Feid, dressed in an oversized leather coat and lit in a manner that exaggerates his grills in an eerie way.
—Juan J. Arroyo, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
Whether or not The Bitch of Buchenwald did what is reenacted on the show isn’t relevant, because her activities are placed in the context of a comic book that exaggerates history to make a point — just like Monster does.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
Some critics have said that Costa exaggerates Malafaia’s influence.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
The fact that the company exaggerates the job numbers, as well as the true number of states where the plane produces a significant number of jobs does not alter the fact that economic arguments carry a lot of weight in Congressional decisions on weapons procurement.
—William Hartung, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
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
This percentage is credible for new sales, but the talking point exaggerates the overall share of housing in investors’ hands and who owns them.
—Chris Doody, Houston Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026
The same prime minister who exaggerates his power is also fine with being portrayed as the patsy of more influential actors.
—Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025
Tainy’s Prometheus — is portrayed by Feid, dressed in an oversized leather coat and lit in a manner that exaggerates his grills in an eerie way.
—Juan J. Arroyo, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
Whether or not The Bitch of Buchenwald did what is reenacted on the show isn’t relevant, because her activities are placed in the context of a comic book that exaggerates history to make a point — just like Monster does.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
Some critics have said that Costa exaggerates Malafaia’s influence.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
The fact that the company exaggerates the job numbers, as well as the true number of states where the plane produces a significant number of jobs does not alter the fact that economic arguments carry a lot of weight in Congressional decisions on weapons procurement.
—William Hartung, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exaggerates
Verb
-
And here is a helpful tip — a teaspoon of honey enhances the flavors splendidly.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
2 June 2026
-
Reducing onboard noise, therefore, improves the effectiveness of the vessel’s surveillance equipment and enhances operating conditions for the crew.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
His reading dramatically overstates what the court actually did.—
Kris Fair,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The algorithm, and the economy that supports it, first escalates speech that overstates the emotions that underlie it.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In her latest offering, the 32-year-old pivots from the darker sound of her debut, moving toward a meditative approach (in the very literal sense) to the music that colors life in the Caribbean.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Sunlight colors the water behind her, brightening a few strands of her hair.—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Alexander’s staging occasionally overdoes the comic exuberance.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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But Maura never overdoes the feisty granny bit.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The film expands Haig’s play and includes additional characters and sequences, including the actual D-day invasion.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
And yet as the series expands from and twists around its simple horror concept (a wedding at the groom-to-be’s family house in the woods is fated for a titular dark catastrophe), Morrone’s performance as Rachel is able to shoulder the weight of quite a bit of backstory and a complicated endgame.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Adding the killer’s voice just pads an already too-long book.—
Maren Longbella,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Not to say there aren’t some clunkers, most notably a jokey take-me-out-to-the-ballgame baseball number that pads the second act, but the Flaherty-Ahrens score was and is Ragtime‘s signature achievement.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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The work embellishes the landscape with a new pond set in a faux archaeological site, out of which rise a series of clear columns housing soil ecosystems extracted from the grounds.—
Tina Rivers Ryan,
Artforum,
14 May 2026
Verb
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From up here, San Sebastián gleams to the east, the sea stretches endlessly forward, and silence settles like an ancient cloak.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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The kitchen stretches from the front of the restaurant along the side wall and into the back of the dining room.—
Eva Remijan-Toba,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exaggerates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exaggerates. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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