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
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Recent Examples of exaggerating
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exaggerating
Verb
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Meanwhile, Schwartzman has been padding his resume with a slew of producing and directing projects.—
Ilana Kaplan,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
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Although Cameron maintains a steady polling advantage over Barr, third-quarter filings show he’s fallen further behind in padding his campaign coffers ahead of the May 2026 primary.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Oct. 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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Areas that have yet to see much fall coloring, or have patches of it this season, are most of Texas, as well as Louisiana and Florida.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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The work—in a way, a series of encounters with random elements of one-click consumerism, including coloring books and marketing guides for dentists—is tedious, repetitive, and demoralizing.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
22 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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Central Indiana Cycling, a bicycling advocacy organization, praised the HAWK signals and other design features like raised crosswalks for enhancing safety.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
22 Oct. 2025
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Antipsychotic medications can reduce hallucinations and delusions, while therapies and rehabilitations can address specific concerns, like teaching cognitive techniques or enhancing social skills to interact with others.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By the end of the game, hundreds of shirtless brethren had joined in on the revelry, stretching across four sections and making headlines.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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At the absolute minimum, Prince Andrew and others in Epstein’s orbit showed a pathological incuriosity about the young girls who surrounded him—and that is stretching good faith to its very limit.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In 2025, Ohtani is likely to earn another MVP award, adding to his ever-expanding trophy cabinet.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Environmental advocates question the need for expanding fossil fuel resources a time when greenhouse gases from those fuels are worsening climate change.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Exaggerating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exaggerating. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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