as in exaggerates
to treat (something) with more importance than is needed or proper
The teacher tends to overemphasize the value of tests. The importance of a healthy diet cannot be overemphasized.
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Recent Examples of overemphasizes
Inherent in their definition is a sense of shared fate—a counter to a version of food consumption that overemphasizes individual choice.
—
Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
If women ski as long as the men do and don’t do it as quickly, that ratio gets out of whack and overemphasizes skiing for the women and not for the men.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Finally, advocates can respond to the argument that merit overemphasizes achievements and undervalues people.
—Kenji Yoshino, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
If women ski as long as the men do and don’t do it as quickly, that ratio gets out of whack and overemphasizes skiing for the women and not for the men.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Finally, advocates can respond to the argument that merit overemphasizes achievements and undervalues people.
—Kenji Yoshino, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overemphasizes
Verb
-
Tristan Baker, head of performance at Go Perform, an athletics performance and coaching facility, and a former strength and conditioning coach at Reading, believes a still photograph exaggerates how unstable the movement appears.—
Amelie Claydon,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Perry has recently favored footwear that exaggerates a familiar evening shape.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The Leo moon's square off with Mars emphasizes the need to express yourself.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
On the Hoover website, a page dedicated to the Great Depression emphasizes that some of the policies enacted by Roosevelt, who easily defeated Hoover for reelection, were first proposed by Hoover.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Now the industry argues the standardized measure overstates risk.—
Mayra Rodriguez Valladares,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
That overstates his closeness to the Russian president.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overemphasizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overemphasizes. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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