exaggeration

noun

ex·​ag·​ger·​a·​tion ig-ˌza-jə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce exaggeration (audio)
plural exaggerations
Synonyms of exaggeration
: an act or instance of exaggerating something : overstatement of the truth
She told us what happened without exaggeration.
: a statement that exaggerates something
a report filled with exaggerations and outright lies
But it's no exaggeration to say that this car has been one of the major linchpins of the burgeoning Asian hot-rod phenomenon.—Tony Swan
Scads of fibs, exaggerations and misleading statements have been swept up in the dragnet …—James Poniewozik

Synonyms of exaggeration

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Examples of exaggeration in a Sentence

their exaggeration was such that a rainstorm became a hurricane
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Maybe not laugh-out-loud humor, though that’s there, but other forms of humor like wit, deadpan, understatement, exaggeration, recognition, irony. — Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026 That little girl was apparently perfectly built for fraud, somehow, and found the perfect environment in Silicon Valley, where exaggeration and outright lying were de rigueur. — Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026 The Republican president claims historic levels of foreign investment that are a mix of exaggerations and wishful thinking. — Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Even if that number is a gross exaggeration, this is a cash cow business. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exaggeration

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exaggeration was in 1565

Rhymes for exaggeration

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Browse Nearby Words

exaggeratingly
exaggeration
exaggerative
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Cite this Entry

“Exaggeration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exaggeration. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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