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
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The same prime minister who exaggerates his power is also fine with being portrayed as the patsy of more influential actors.—
Aluf Benn,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Nov. 2025
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Tainy’s Prometheus — is portrayed by Feid, dressed in an oversized leather coat and lit in a manner that exaggerates his grills in an eerie way.—
Juan J. Arroyo,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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GalaxyBids emphasizes its unique position as an alternative to the traditional shopping sites that some may find dull or monotonous.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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Marketing professor Jonah Berger emphasizes that understanding linguistics can enhance our communication skills, enabling us to fit in, persuade, engage, and positively influence others, especially with the aid of advanced language analysis tools and his SPEACC Framework.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His reading dramatically overstates what the court actually did.—
Kris Fair,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
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The algorithm, and the economy that supports it, first escalates speech that overstates the emotions that underlie it.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overemphasizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overemphasizes. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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