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

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

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

Yann LeCun, Meta’s former chief AI scientist, is among a minority who say America’s AI leaders only hoist themselves by exaggerating both the progress and danger of their latest models.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Ballmer, a former long-time CEO of Microsoft, accused Sanberg of targeting him for his well-known interest in environmental sustainability and exaggerating their relationship to convince others to invest in the fraudulent company.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 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

“You’re exaggerating again, Ben,” Lillian answered, laughing to break the tension.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy