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.

Some economists question if the pattern is repeating itself, thus exaggerating the improvement in the labor market.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 1, 2026

EU prosecutors first detailed the scam last May, accusing subsidy beneficiaries of making claims for land that they did not own and exaggerating the number of animals on farms.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

But even Bell contends that many business leaders today are exaggerating the technology’s role in layoffs, a practice that’s coming to be known as AI washing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

In December, the California Department of Motor Vehicles found Tesla in violation of state law for exaggerating the capabilities of its “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” technology.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 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