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
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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
Studies have found that companies tend to buy cheap, low-quality carbon credits, which run a risk of exaggerating their carbon reduction claims or providing results that would have happened anyway, leaving no real climate benefit.
—
Brian P. McCullough, The Conversation, 10 Dec. 2025
Democratic officials have pushed back, arguing that the president is exaggerating the need to combat crime in the city for political gain.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 22 Nov. 2025
Of course, Solomonik is far from the first person to explore the inherent absurdity of trans life by exaggerating that absurdity, but so rarely is the transmasc psyche in all of its neuroses explored in such a way.
—Ana Osorno, Them., 21 Nov. 2025
Born Hillary Lynn Hayward-Thomas in Boston, Massachusetts, the former yoga teacher was accused of exaggerating her Spanish heritage after details of her past were uncovered on social media in 2020.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 14 Nov. 2025
In the series, Gacy enjoyed talking about many of his accomplishments and exaggerating some of his stories.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Blumenthal apologized for exaggerating his military record in 2010 after an investigation by the New York Times.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
Local and state officials said the federal government is exaggerating facts on the ground.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
Giménez was exaggerating, but not by much.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Brian P. McCullough, The Conversation, 10 Dec. 2025
Democratic officials have pushed back, arguing that the president is exaggerating the need to combat crime in the city for political gain.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 22 Nov. 2025
Of course, Solomonik is far from the first person to explore the inherent absurdity of trans life by exaggerating that absurdity, but so rarely is the transmasc psyche in all of its neuroses explored in such a way.
—Ana Osorno, Them., 21 Nov. 2025
Born Hillary Lynn Hayward-Thomas in Boston, Massachusetts, the former yoga teacher was accused of exaggerating her Spanish heritage after details of her past were uncovered on social media in 2020.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 14 Nov. 2025
In the series, Gacy enjoyed talking about many of his accomplishments and exaggerating some of his stories.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Blumenthal apologized for exaggerating his military record in 2010 after an investigation by the New York Times.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
Local and state officials said the federal government is exaggerating facts on the ground.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
Giménez was exaggerating, but not by much.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exaggerating
Verb
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In particular, middle-market deal volume was low this year with those large M&A transactions padding the stats, according to a S&P Global analysis of deal-making as of November.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
19 Dec. 2025
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The Bruins blasted Ralston Valley 56-28 on Saturday in the Class 5A championship at Canvas Stadium, padding their ongoing dynasty that is showing no signs of slowing up.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
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These days companies are touting, and often overstating, their AI bona fides.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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Harry How / Getty Images There is no overstating Shohei Ohtani’s importance to the Los Angeles Dodgers.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The chromium in the pan can react to high temperatures, leading to rainbow coloring on stainless steel.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
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Though some fans online have wondered if the Grammy winner is sporting a wig in the photo, Grande appears to have confirmed that the change is more permanent by tagging Francesco De Chiara, who specializes in hair coloring.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And Carys is certainly embracing shopping her mom's previous red carpet picks — even to the point of possibly overdoing it.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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Unlike horror movies built on shadowy boogeymen bouncing out of the dark, The Witch's tone stays quiet, swarming around themes of bewitchery, black magic, and wickedness without overdoing it.—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The administration has quietly directed diplomats to press allies on restricting inflows, enhancing deportation mechanisms, and ending policies perceived as favoring migrants over citizens.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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While achieving a rugged look, the fiber retains the signature softness and high moisture-regulating properties characteristic of TENCEL™ Lyocell, enhancing wearer comfort.—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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He was first elected to the House in 1992, and now represents an inland district stretching from the southern Riverside suburbs to Palm Springs.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Nov. 2025
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Without stretching their budget, travelers can enjoy 22 miles of pristine coastline or cross the bridge to hop on a shuttle with Explore Jax Core Tours, where the city’s history, culture, and future unfold through vivid storytelling and physical representation.—
Essence,
Essence,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The concept is expanding into practice in the state as a solution to regional food distribution challenges.—
Cristina LaRue,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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Future work will focus on integrating snow-deposition modeling with PV yield simulations to more accurately predict energy losses and on expanding analyses to more complex, uneven alpine terrain.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In Babylonian and Assyrian artworks, too, feathers are often seen covering the bodies of deities or embellishing royal crowns.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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That calls for a little extra creativity from its mom — and the movie’s narrator (Emilia Clarke) — who wriggles her mandibles and gets to work embellishing upon what Dahl imagined.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exaggerating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exaggerating. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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