exaggerating

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.

See Examples For:

exaggerating

I’m not exaggerating when I say this happens every single time we go to the movies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

What I was saying before is that they were exaggerating the threat.

From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026

Given the prevalence of such changes, though, others are likely exaggerating their experience, he said: “A lot of it looks like AI washing.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

The former chair of the education faculty has also faced accusations of fabricating or exaggerating elements of his CV.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

The theory eventually circulated that Boori Ma had once worked as hired help for a prosperous zamindar back east, and was therefore capable of exaggerating her past at such elaborate lengths and heights.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri