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as in exaggeration
the representation of something in terms that go beyond the facts
that feature writer is sometimes guilty of padding, since his stories often contain colorful details that can't be verified
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in exaggerating
to add to the interest of by including made-up details
the journalist was fired for padding certain stories to make them more interesting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in walking
to go on foot
a cat padded silently by
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of padding
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
But he would be fired unceremoniously in 1973 amid a scandal over alleged padding of expense reports for personal use.
—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Two silhouettes caught on grainy security cameras, padding through a massive, empty aqua park lit only by whatever ambient light existed.
—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for padding
Noun
Why is this padding so persistent?
—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
But he would be fired unceremoniously in 1973 amid a scandal over alleged padding of expense reports for personal use.
—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Verb
Without any workplace oversight, the baristas did the obvious, padding their breaks by ten, fifteen, twenty minutes.
—
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Two silhouettes caught on grainy security cameras, padding through a massive, empty aqua park lit only by whatever ambient light existed.
—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for padding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for padding
Noun
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Cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar recreate the cheesecake filling, while sliced strawberries and graham cracker crumbs complete the flavor.
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This maximizes the efficiency and potency of the ingredient’s plumping, hydrating, wrinkle-filling, fine-line smoothing benefits.
Noun
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Pirate ship is no exaggeration.
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But the fastest swimming speed claims are almost certainly indefensible exaggerations.
Verb
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Jan Paul van Hecke of the Netherlands has been involved in two scraps already, the latest when he was hit while going for a header and crumbled, perhaps exaggerating a tad, after Morocco's Azzedine Ounahi challenged the header, as well.
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The four-time Olympian was not exaggerating.
Verb
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There was a small card with a graphic that pictured Wiley walking in the middle of Bluey and Bingo, two characters from the show.
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Cooler, crisp days make walking the hill towns, wine tasting and dining outdoors far more comfortable than in the baking summer.
Noun
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Customers waited patiently to get their fill, possibly for the last time.
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For a limited time, new members can save 10 cents per gallon on their first fill, 20 cents on their second fill and 30 cents on their third fill.
Noun
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Unlike dynamic stretching, static stretching holds muscles in a lengthened position for an extended period.
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Pre-production ran from January to April 2025, with post-production stretching from May 2025 through March 2026.
Verb
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Knoxville’s shock of white hair, a result of him stopping coloring it during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, kept reminding us that these were humans.
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The first showed him walking hand-in-hand with his sons, and the second showed Jack crouched down in a church pew as one of his sons played with toys, surrounded by coloring books and stickers.
Verb
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Initially, both teams looked to be treading carefully, wary of a misstep now in the knockout stage.
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By treading lightly with finishes, opening up the loft area to more light, and getting clever with storage, Marie channeled the unit’s coastal locale, conjuring up an aesthetic lexicon that suggests the interior of a boat with its clean, functional lines.
Cite this Entry
“Padding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/padding. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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