exaggerates

verb

present tense third-person singular of exaggerate
1
as in enhances
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 overstates
to describe or express in too strong terms it would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of this entrance exam

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exaggerates Armour points to two recent plays, one involving Chelsea Gray and another involving Kiah Stokes, as proof that Clark exaggerates contact and creates false narratives about opposing players. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026 The best place to start is a sporting culture that exaggerates accomplishments and rewards capitalistic success before the sporting variety. — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 One sure focus is the rampant grade inflation that exaggerates student achievement and has made graduating high school close to meaningless as an indicator of college preparedness. — U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026 Drama hides a hero’s flaws; comedy exaggerates it. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 25 June 2026 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 The case drew widespread attention because Dee Dee was suspected of having Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a form of abuse in which a caregiver exaggerates, fabricates or induces illness in someone under their care. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026 Dehydration exaggerates creases and makes skin look less supple. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exaggerates
  1. enhances
  2. overstates
  3. colors
  4. overdoes
  5. expands
  6. pads
  7. embellishes
  8. stretches
Verb
  • Storyteller Overland Storyteller also enhances the rear’s role as a storage garage, adding MOLLE-style organizational panels to the underside of the bed.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Mexar developed Vapor, a wearable fan for frontline workers that enhances the body’s natural evaporative cooling.
    — Hannah Singleton, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of enhances
Verb
  • Translating the team’s shooting numbers into a claim about Reese personally shutting down opponents overstates what those numbers establish.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • By any account, the description overstates Lukas’ employment status.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of overstates
Verb
  • The latter app colors the map, with pink the most light pollution and black the least.
    — Chris McMullen, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Dyes such as indigo, for example, which colors your favorite blue jeans, are actually intended to fade and will do so throughout the life of the garment.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of colors
Verb
  • Her direction here wisely emphasizes the actors, and possibly overdoes it with the mirrors — lotta symbolically reflective surfaces and isolating frames within frames — but there’s never the sensation that the person behind the camera is winging it.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2026
  • Alexander’s staging occasionally overdoes the comic exuberance.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Definition of overdoes
Verb
  • Even without their local ties, Gash are a shoe-in at Eaux Claires, the Wisconsin music festival founded by Justin Vernon that expands on the experimental curiosity and unhurried approach at the heart of Bon Iver’s latter career.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The presentation comes as Netflix separately expands its AI ambitions, including its acquisition of Ben Affleck’s filmmaking technology company InterPositive.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of expands
Verb
  • In other words, the additional money that our companies are shelling out to cover higher memory costs ultimately pads these three companies’ bottom lines.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 21 June 2026
  • Adding the killer’s voice just pads an already too-long book.
    — Maren Longbella, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Definition of pads
Verb
  • The material also embellishes the interior, where the center armrest, speaker covers, window buttons, and gear shift are among the areas of application.
    — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 30 June 2026
  • It’s also been cited as what’s wrong with basketball, as he’s been labeled a player who embellishes contact, resulting in opportunities at the free-throw line.
    — Jason Jones, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Definition of embellishes
Verb
  • Not far from my home on the western shore of Lake Champlain lies the ore bed that in 1875 produced 10 percent of America’s iron ore; the #21 pit, once storied, stretches two hundred feet wide and three hundred feet deep.
    — Bill McKibben, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Its border with Yemen stretches more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) through rugged desert areas.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of stretches

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Cite this Entry

“Exaggerates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exaggerates. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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