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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of exaggerating
But in early 2024, a short seller accused it of exaggerating the role of artificial intelligence in its business model, leading to a class action lawsuit and a 30% drop in its share price.
—
Perrie M. Weiner, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Iranian hackers boasted online of the hacks against Patel and the medical device maker while exaggerating their impact.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose term featured record numbers of disappearances and homicides, complained that political adversaries were exaggerating the problem to smear his reputation and legacy.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Bosco’s attorneys argue Shaw was exaggerating the situation.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 27 Mar. 2026
One expert, however, testified for prosecutors that the defendant was malingering, or exaggerating his psychiatric issues and was not legally insane at the time.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
The deadpan one-liners exaggerating his strength, speed and toughness to absurd levels, turned Norris into one of the internet’s first global memes.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
And nobody in that moment was performing or exaggerating.
—Daniela Tijerina, Vanity Fair, 20 Mar. 2026
Sokolov also wields a much shorter lens, warping and exaggerating space with each swinging motion, while his cast moves in almost dance-like fashion.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Perrie M. Weiner, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Iranian hackers boasted online of the hacks against Patel and the medical device maker while exaggerating their impact.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose term featured record numbers of disappearances and homicides, complained that political adversaries were exaggerating the problem to smear his reputation and legacy.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Bosco’s attorneys argue Shaw was exaggerating the situation.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 27 Mar. 2026
One expert, however, testified for prosecutors that the defendant was malingering, or exaggerating his psychiatric issues and was not legally insane at the time.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
The deadpan one-liners exaggerating his strength, speed and toughness to absurd levels, turned Norris into one of the internet’s first global memes.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
And nobody in that moment was performing or exaggerating.
—Daniela Tijerina, Vanity Fair, 20 Mar. 2026
Sokolov also wields a much shorter lens, warping and exaggerating space with each swinging motion, while his cast moves in almost dance-like fashion.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exaggerating
Verb
-
Without any workplace oversight, the baristas did the obvious, padding their breaks by ten, fifteen, twenty minutes.—
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Two silhouettes caught on grainy security cameras, padding through a massive, empty aqua park lit only by whatever ambient light existed.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 1998, Buffett warned against overstating your impact.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Grounding researchers describe this as a form of electrical disconnection from the natural world that may be contributing to the rise in chronic inflammatory conditions — a framing worth including without overstating causation.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some activities aligned with a slower approach could include baking, gardening, sitting with your kids and talking or coloring rather than looking at a screen, and putting comfort first.—
Sari Hitchins,
Parents,
11 Apr. 2026
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Each cookie has cheery yellow petals and a magenta center, with coloring strictly derived from vegetable juices.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Herzog naturally plays up the enigma at hand with epic grandeur, occasionally overdoing it but usually hitting the mark.—
Eric Kohn,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
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But nighttime pain that woke me every few hours was likely from overdoing, Bugbee’s nurse explained.—
Nicole Sours Larson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The expansion is also expected to add more natural light, green space and a new lobby in the hopes of enhancing comfort and care for families, hospital leaders, who touted the tower as a ‘transformative project,’ said on Wednesday.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Work may need to be repeatedly translated between systems, increasing the effort required for alignment without necessarily enhancing output.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For a century, the 2,448 mile road stretching across eight states and three time zones has been synonymous with mom-and-pop diners and America’s Heartland.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Olivia Rodrigo has announced North American and European tour dates stretching from the fall into 2027.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Gauthier was hyperbolizing, but his statement looked true Monday.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Southern Anoka County Assistance food shelf (SACA) is expanding to meet a growing need in Columbia Heights.—
Ashley Grams,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The store initially sold ice cream before expanding to chocolates in 1965.—
Clare Fisher,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exaggerating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exaggerating. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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