as in exaggerating
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 overemphasizing
Still, experts warn that there is such a thing as overemphasizing the data and getting bogged down by less-than-optimal scores.
—
Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 1 Oct. 2025
Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overemphasizing
Verb
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Allegations that are now spreading online could be misinterpreting records or exaggerating minor issues — or could be exposing actual fraudulent activity.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
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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
Verb
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In his remarkably faithful adaptation of Reid’s novel, Tierney manages to accomplish this tricky narrative task by emphasizing three particularly moving declarations of love, each of which speak to the possibilities and limitations baked into the romance genre.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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At store level, these filter down to emphasizing culture, capability, and collaboration as the engines of the company’s next phase of growth.—
Kevin Rozario,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With the Heat at 22-20, Spoelstra is not overstating where his team stands.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
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That might be overstating things a bit (especially for a few coaches, ahem, Jim Harbaugh).—
Austin Mock,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While open shelves can create an airy feel and provide storage surfaces in a visually appealing way, overdoing the look isn't practical, or in keeping with the current bathroom trends.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Jan. 2026
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The Smekkers are incredibly insulating without overdoing it—and without getting itchy, either.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The changes are affecting routes to Israel, parts of the GCC, and Jordan, with airlines stressing that the measures are precautionary and subject to constant operational review.—
Hana Al-Khodairi,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Jan. 2026
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In both instances, Copenhagen and the Greenlandic government in its capital Nuuk responded by expressing openness to further collaboration, stressing the importance of sovereignty and dispatching a high-level delegation for talks in Washington.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overemphasizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overemphasizing. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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