as in decorative
serving to add beauty
the chef tends to overuse sprigs of parsley and other embellishing garnishes on dishes that don't need them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in exaggerating
to add to the interest of by including made-up details
the story of the comic marriage proposal was embellished as it passed from one generation to the next in the family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decorating
to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming
the walls of the French restaurant are embellished with scenes of Parisian life
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of embellishing
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The sweater’s drop shoulder gives it a relaxed look, and the patch pockets on the pants are both practical and embellishing.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
Inch by inch, the AI aids the person in embellishing the delusion.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The sweater’s drop shoulder gives it a relaxed look, and the patch pockets on the pants are both practical and embellishing.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embellishing
Adjective
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The brand also offers a silver cream and liquid polish that removes tarnish and restores shine to flatware, trays, and other decorative pieces.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
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Place in a decorative serving bowl or scatter down the center of your table.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Roman wondered, perhaps exaggerating the growth and maturity of Alt over the past 12 months.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
11 Sep. 2025
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Bronstein says the lines between reality and what appears to be reality are blurred as bragging spills over to personal lives and work, projecting, exaggerating and competing for attention.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The simplest way to create an autumnal feel is by decorating your front porch.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
20 Sep. 2025
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Designed by decorating icon Bunny Williams, the Cranborne lampshade boasts the signature sophistication that Williams has built a career on.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Allium These ornamental onions (Allium) add color and whimsy to the spring garden with their tall, globe-like blooms.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
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Even though this ornamental grass will handle heat, humidity, and drought, be sure to give it consistent moisture so its summer foliage and clouds of fall flowers grow tall.—
Sheryl Geerts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The shop, new to West Hollywood, opened in late June, offering dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, and no-artificial-flavoring or coloring frozen treats.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
18 Sep. 2025
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Celebrating the start of New York Fashion Week, both actresses arrived at the Central Park Boathouse for the Veuve Clicquot dinner hosted by Jacquemus designer Simon Porte with the same copper hair coloring.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The father-son duo both towered over Hargitay, adorning casual clothing in snaps taken from their visit.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
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Where Old-World Wallpaper Works Best Historically, wallpaper began adorning cupboard interiors and modest rooms of merchant homes.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mahomes is also padding his long list of sponsors, partnering with Airbnb and Hublot and agreeing to autograph Panini trading cards for the first time in five years.—
Brett Knight,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Still, after whupping the White Sox 10-4 on Thursday night, Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger asserted that there's no shame in padding the record against low-quality competition, which is objectively true.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The webs multiply, draping across sidewalks, stretching across paths in the woods, appearing in every corner of our porches, and popping up near ceilings all over town.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025
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But Franc Fernandez, the designer of the dress that is today on display at the Park MGM in Las Vegas, had worked three long days to create it, draping butcher cuts on a mannequin torso.—
Steve Knopper,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Embellishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embellishing. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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