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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of exaggerating
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
Over half, or 51 percent, admitted to exaggerating their financial success, with Gen Z (54 percent) leading the way compared to millennials (48 percent).
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Michael Trimble, executive director of the Gaslamp Quarter Association, said the mayor’s staff is exaggerating any problems with the parking districts and not telling the whole story.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025
Blaney isn’t exaggerating — IndyCars are expected to lap Phoenix nearly six seconds faster than their stock-car cousins.
—Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Founded in 2022, Figure aims to build general-purpose humanoid robots, though Fortune’s Jason del Rey questioned whether the company was exaggerating the extent to which its robots were being deployed with BMW.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
Tesla has previously been accused of exaggerating the capabilities of its software, including in a wrongful-death trial this summer over a different piece of Tesla software known as Autopilot.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
Roman wondered, perhaps exaggerating the growth and maturity of Alt over the past 12 months.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
Giménez was exaggerating, but not by much.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Over half, or 51 percent, admitted to exaggerating their financial success, with Gen Z (54 percent) leading the way compared to millennials (48 percent).
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Michael Trimble, executive director of the Gaslamp Quarter Association, said the mayor’s staff is exaggerating any problems with the parking districts and not telling the whole story.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025
Blaney isn’t exaggerating — IndyCars are expected to lap Phoenix nearly six seconds faster than their stock-car cousins.
—Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Founded in 2022, Figure aims to build general-purpose humanoid robots, though Fortune’s Jason del Rey questioned whether the company was exaggerating the extent to which its robots were being deployed with BMW.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
Tesla has previously been accused of exaggerating the capabilities of its software, including in a wrongful-death trial this summer over a different piece of Tesla software known as Autopilot.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
Roman wondered, perhaps exaggerating the growth and maturity of Alt over the past 12 months.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exaggerating
Verb
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This direction—padding the ensemble with social-media-friendly faces—represents more of a nudge toward the future than a massive overhaul.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
1 Oct. 2025
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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
Verb
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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
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Voskuhl also cautions against overstating benefits beyond symptom relief.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His owner, Hannah Gleason from Oklahoma, told Newsweek that the merle gene isn’t a coloring gene rather than a gene that bleaches the fur and causes lack of pigmentation which can lead to birth defects, blindness, deafness, or sometimes all three.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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These lines of research are part of a growing body of evidence that treats coloring as an accessible and low-cost way to invite focused attention and emotional steadiness.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After Mauricio missed all of 2024 and had a slow return-to-play schedule this year, there is a balance between getting enough action versus overdoing it.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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Its two pressure settings are powerful enough to clear away plaque without overdoing it, all in a compact design that tucks neatly under the sink or into your carry-on.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But beyond 60 mg/L, uptake surged sharply, suggesting multilayer adsorption, where molecules stack on top of each other, enhancing the total adsorption.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Oct. 2025
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Competitive runners emphasized the value of performance-enhancing features—such as carbon plates—but stressed that these should not come at the expense of comfort.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The third-year QB injured himself while doing work with a stretching band, Colts coach Shane Steichen said after the game.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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Indonesia, for example, sits at the intersection of the Ring of Fire and the Alpide belt—a separate east-west volcanic zone stretching through southern Asia and Europe.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Despite months of military build-up, the escalation into a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory in February 2022 and the subsequent imposition of sweeping and continuously expanding sanctions came as a major shock to thousands of transnational corporations.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
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Crews expanding a major Lake Norman-area highway cut a gas line Friday, prompting evacuations and closing the busy road for hours, witnesses and town officials said.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One of the standout footwear styles presented by Dior was a mule with a dramatically oversized rosette embellishing the upper, coming in different colors including a pastel plaid.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
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The spread of banchan—side dishes that fill out a traditional Korean meal—that surrounds the central grill serves as a choose-your-own-adventure map for perfectly embellishing your meats of choice.—
Irene Yoo
September 26,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exaggerating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exaggerating. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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