1
as in padding
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 overstating
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 exaggerating
Goldman says Lander is exaggerating the gulf between them.
—
Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
Some may suspect the president is exaggerating.
—Drew Endy, Washington Post, 4 June 2026
The companies, meanwhile, say opportunistic lawyers and public adjusters are playing to fears and driving up costs for everyone by exaggerating the risks and damage.
—Jason Henry, Daily News, 31 May 2026
Apple just settled a class-action lawsuit for exaggerating the AI capabilities of its newest iPhones.
—Vitaliy Katsenelson, Fortune, 14 May 2026
The league decided to introduce postgame flop fines in the 2012-13 season where plays were reviewed after games and those individuals were fined for exaggerating contact.
—Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
Flopping and exaggerating contact is different.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 4 May 2026
Flopping is exaggerating contact that’s already there.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 4 May 2026
By exaggerating the patients’ health problems, insurers collect larger payments from government without providing additional healthcare.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
Some may suspect the president is exaggerating.
—Drew Endy, Washington Post, 4 June 2026
The companies, meanwhile, say opportunistic lawyers and public adjusters are playing to fears and driving up costs for everyone by exaggerating the risks and damage.
—Jason Henry, Daily News, 31 May 2026
Apple just settled a class-action lawsuit for exaggerating the AI capabilities of its newest iPhones.
—Vitaliy Katsenelson, Fortune, 14 May 2026
The league decided to introduce postgame flop fines in the 2012-13 season where plays were reviewed after games and those individuals were fined for exaggerating contact.
—Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
Flopping and exaggerating contact is different.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 4 May 2026
Flopping is exaggerating contact that’s already there.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 4 May 2026
By exaggerating the patients’ health problems, insurers collect larger payments from government without providing additional healthcare.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exaggerating
Verb
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Perhaps this isn’t new—Star Wars has been taking small moments from the original trilogy and padding them out for decades now—almost everything seen on screen in those first three films has been resurrected, fleshed out with backstories and unnecessary details.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
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The stock closed at a record high of $237 — padding out year-to-date gains to 117%.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Last year, she was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for defrauding the bank by overstating the number of customers Frank had.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
14 June 2026
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Beaudin’s critics, including residents supporting Balch’s campaign and those that opposed Measure PP, claimed the city was overstating its budget issues and that officials were holding out on a reserve of cash that could lessen impacts of any potential deficit.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Now imagine taking three colors—say red, blue and green—and coloring each point on each triangle such that no two adjacent points are the same color.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
13 June 2026
-
The Icy Inferno version’s discs are both transparent, while the other features block coloring for their respective teams.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
And Carys is certainly embracing shopping her mom's previous red carpet picks — even to the point of possibly overdoing it.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
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While a thin layer can help support the skin barrier, overdoing thick zinc creams daily may feel too heavy for skin types and ironically, could clog pores in oily skin.—
Tatiana Dias,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Layered cuts and bangs can add dimension and reduce weight, enhancing the overall look of thick hair.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
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The district’s priorities include sustaining full-day kindergarten in all elementary schools, providing free breakfast for all students, enhancing mental health training and resources for students and staff, expanding career technical education and opening new pre-K centers.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Data centers are contained in buildings stretching as far as a football field, housing thousands of continually running machines.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 June 2026
-
But the Los Angeles pianist still loves stretching out with a small combo.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Gauthier was hyperbolizing, but his statement looked true Monday.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Layne’s group has pushed county leaders to fund a continuous drug addiction treatment program, expanding access for those who need it both during and after incarceration.—
Gavin J. Quinton,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Episode 2 continues that methodology, pairing globally influential artists with scientific inquiry, while expanding the scope of both the artistry and the research.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exaggerating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exaggerating. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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