exaggerate

[ig-zaj-uh-reyt] / ɪgˈzædʒ əˌreɪt /

VERB

overstate, embellish

Synonyms

STRONGEST

amplify distort emphasize fabricate falsify heighten inflate magnify misrepresent overdo overdraw overemphasize overestimate

STRONG

boast boost brag caricature color corrupt embroider enlarge exalt expand fudge hike hyperbolize intensify lie misquote pad puff pyramid romance romanticize scam stretch up

WEAK

blow out of proportion build up cook up go to extremes lay it on thick loud talk make too much of misreport pretty up put on

Antonyms

STRONGEST

compress contract decrease ignore lessen play down

STRONG

abridge be modest deprecate lower reduce shrink

WEAK

depreciate minimize understate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Rumanes’ lawsuit describes a “culture of deception” at Live Nation, saying its “basic business model was to misstate and exaggerate financial figures in efforts to solicit and secure business.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Customers risk having their claim rejected, their policy cancelled and potential prosecution if they invent or exaggerate a claim.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Sometimes inventories and trade balances can exaggerate the ups and downs in GDP, but that wasn’t the case in the fourth quarter.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026

You can’t exaggerate how important television was in the making of this man, and I don’t mean “The Apprentice,” I mean those old movies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

Suddenly ordinary people could get the benefit of computing without being programmers. ft is impossible to exaggerate how important this was to the flattening of the world.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

Vocabulary lists containing exaggerate

Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items

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List 4

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