magnify
verb
mag·ni·fy
ˈmag-nə-ˌfī 
magnified; magnifying
1
2
a
: to increase in significance : intensify
… real drama … will use ugliness to magnify beauty …—
Alan Mickle
Alan Mickle
b
: exaggerate
magnifies every minor issue to crisis proportions
3
: to enlarge in fact or in appearance
The lens magnified the image 100 times.
: to have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they are
a glass that magnifies greatly
Examples of magnify in a Sentence
The sound was magnified by the calm air.
His failures have been magnified by the success of his friends.
I don't want to magnify the importance of these problems.
The lens magnified the image 100 times.
a magnified view of the image
Recent Examples on the Web
The space telescope's primary science goals include studying dark energy, mapping dark matter and discovering thousands of exoplanets via gravitational microlensing, in which a massive foreground object bends the light of a background star, temporarily magnifying it like a lens.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2026
Köroğlu explains that seasonal shedding magnifies density changes, making the scalp look different under winter’s harsher lighting.
—Connie Etemadi, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
If acceleration of consumption becomes the default, the industry risks magnifying its biggest environmental liabilities.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 29 Dec. 2025
The incoming wave’s intensity could be magnified by the rain that already fell in the Bay Area throughout the weekend — heavily in some areas.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for magnify
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Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2026
Köroğlu explains that seasonal shedding magnifies density changes, making the scalp look different under winter’s harsher lighting.
—Connie Etemadi, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
If acceleration of consumption becomes the default, the industry risks magnifying its biggest environmental liabilities.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 29 Dec. 2025
The incoming wave’s intensity could be magnified by the rain that already fell in the Bay Area throughout the weekend — heavily in some areas.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for magnify
Cite this Entry
“Magnify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnify. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
magnify
verb
mag·ni·fy
ˈmag-nə-ˌfī
magnified; magnifying
2
a
: to increase in importance
b
3
: to enlarge in fact or in appearance
a microscope magnifies an object seen through it
magnifier
noun
-ˌfī(-ə)r
Medical Definition
magnify
verb
mag·ni·fy
ˈmag-nə-ˌfī
magnified; magnifying
: to enlarge in appearance
: to have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they are
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