embellish

There’s a vocabulary and a shorthand in how characters are depicted in TV series, especially in crime thrillers where the police-procedural aspects are supposed to embellish the characterizations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

The 48-year-old American has long been a controversial figure, often criticized for an overly defensive style, and accused by some of dodging the most dangerous opponents simply to embellish his record.

From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026

A total of 13 other witnesses used to support the prosecution case have now told the BBC the police pressured them to embellish their statements or lie in court.

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026

So when you can take something that’s actually happened to them and have that be the seed of a story and embellish on that, I think people create really interesting projects.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2024

His testimony was given with simplicity and what seemed like candor, but Mtolo had gone out of his way to embellish his evidence.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

In various chat logs the BBC has seen, the chatbot suggests, affirms and embellishes these ideas.

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

Though the novel is steeped in research, the island kingdom it portrays predates written records, so Mr. Johnson freely embellishes his intense tale with magic and mythology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 3, 2025

Daphne admits she often lies, or, rather, embellishes her life “for the social good” — she says what others want to hear.

From New York Times ● May 15, 2023

The kitchen embellishes the confection with jewel-like raspberries and a chewy granola bar that’s not much more than oats and maple syrup and plenty good on its own.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 7, 2022

Medieval painting, for instance, is to a large extent “applied,” in the sense that it embellishes surfaces which serve other, practical purposes as well—walls, book pages, windows, furniture.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

When she was alive, Wilder herself admitted that her novels were extensively embellished, mainly by her daughter Rose Wilder Lane.

From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026

Drummers embellished the rhythm of partygoers chanting “Knicks in 5.”

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026

The sprouts are more like the main event than a side when generously embellished the way these are, with creamy béchamel, Parmesan and pancetta.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 15, 2025

So she kept making them, encouraged by the rave reviews: A chocolate cake for Escoto’s 24th birthday, airbrushed in psychedelic blue and green and embellished with gummy bears.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2025

Although newspapers had embellished incidents and inflated the numbers of panicked people, their stories weren’t totally wrong.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

The reason is that the sport’s fancy new automated ball-strike system couldn’t function without it—which means that the days of players embellishing their heights for posterity are officially over.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

Padilla spoke up to say that Noem was "exaggerating and embellishing" before being confronted by security.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2025

Pierre et Gilles created the painting in 2023, by first taking a photo of Smith posing before then hand painting and embellishing the image.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2024

Scarves, a recurring favorite of Chiuri’s, were ubiquitous for fall, and were in the program notes heralded as “protective, enveloping, and embellishing as required” for a free and worldly woman.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2024

Winston, in addition to his regular work, spent long periods every day in going through back files of the Times and altering and embellishing news items which were to be quoted in speeches.

From "1984" by George Orwell