as in caricatures
the representation of something in terms that go beyond the facts
their exaggeration was such that a rainstorm became a hurricane
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Recent Examples of exaggerations
Historians, strategists, and analysts are brought in to give some context, particularly for the question of how much these impressions influence voters — do these performances merge with their targets’ public personas, turning comic exaggerations into liabilities?
—
Jason Bailey, Vulture, 27 May 2026
Williams, of course, worked at NBC for nearly three decades, including an 11-year run at NBC Nightly News that ended 2015 after exaggerations and falsehoods were found in some of his reporting, including reports from Iraq, and from New Orleans after it had been ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
The lurch from declaring fears about Iran to be mere media exaggerations to invoking imminent threat, from demanding the Nobel Peace Prize to luxuriating in lethality, is the essence of the autocrat’s monopoly on unpredictability.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
Together, these individuals bedevil lawmakers with their flag-waving and their exaggerations about the alien problem.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Free of the trappings and exaggerations of the 1980s, fashion had turned to celebrating clothes in their simplest, purest form, with invisible seams and clean lines, devoid of embellishments and in a strictly neutral, pattern-free palette.
—Valentina Bottoni, Vanity Fair, 13 Mar. 2026
But Chan also claimed to have ties to Asian gangs, at one point asked Kim to help him get rid of a body and spoke about killing other students, which Chan came to see as lies or exaggerations.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 27 Feb. 2026
Who knew what other wild exaggerations Wise had chosen to believe?
—Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026
While some of his bold claims have come true, others have gone down as vast exaggerations or outright lies.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2026
Jason Bailey, Vulture, 27 May 2026
Williams, of course, worked at NBC for nearly three decades, including an 11-year run at NBC Nightly News that ended 2015 after exaggerations and falsehoods were found in some of his reporting, including reports from Iraq, and from New Orleans after it had been ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
The lurch from declaring fears about Iran to be mere media exaggerations to invoking imminent threat, from demanding the Nobel Peace Prize to luxuriating in lethality, is the essence of the autocrat’s monopoly on unpredictability.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
Together, these individuals bedevil lawmakers with their flag-waving and their exaggerations about the alien problem.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Free of the trappings and exaggerations of the 1980s, fashion had turned to celebrating clothes in their simplest, purest form, with invisible seams and clean lines, devoid of embellishments and in a strictly neutral, pattern-free palette.
—Valentina Bottoni, Vanity Fair, 13 Mar. 2026
But Chan also claimed to have ties to Asian gangs, at one point asked Kim to help him get rid of a body and spoke about killing other students, which Chan came to see as lies or exaggerations.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 27 Feb. 2026
Who knew what other wild exaggerations Wise had chosen to believe?
—Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026
While some of his bold claims have come true, others have gone down as vast exaggerations or outright lies.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exaggerations
Noun
-
Oftentimes Black artists are seen as caricatures or one-dimensional.—
Stuart Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Can storytelling help move audiences beyond caricatures, outrage, and contempt?—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Across the 2026 and 2027 bridal collections, there’s been a notable emphasis on intricate savoir-faire, with designers embracing the charm of handmade workmanship, including delicate weaves, openwork textures, and crochet-effect embroideries as couture-level details.—
Laura Tortora,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
-
Vogue points to bold and bright sneakers for spring, plus those with details like sequins and floral embroideries, among other trends.—
Claire Peltier,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The company also announced several performance improvements, including faster photo loading, quicker AirDrop transfers, and multitasking enhancements.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
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The community's request has been referred to the Parks and Recreation Commission, which oversees the formal process for assessing and prioritizing enhancements across all Town play spaces.—
Aaron Parseghian,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exaggerations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exaggerations. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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