as in exaggerating
disapproving
to describe or show something in a way that makes it seem more shocking than it really is
Journalists should report the news accurately without trying to sensationalize it.
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Recent Examples of sensationalizing
In my view, platforming these young men and sensationalizing their behaviors, rather than recognizing those behaviors as signs of psychological distress, distracts from the urgent need to address these serious mental health concerns.
—
Jordyn Tovey,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
For Johnson, police have to balance not sensationalizing these teen takeovers, while also not writing them off as kids being kids.
—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
In addition to recentering the story, the new show shies away from violence on screen, so as to avoid sensationalizing Gacy.
—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
13 Nov. 2025
Notoriety trailed Woodhull through her life, but, rather than sensationalizing her scandals, Collinsworth highlights Woodhull’s flair for reinvention, and her drive to set the terms by which she would be remembered.
—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Jordyn Tovey,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
For Johnson, police have to balance not sensationalizing these teen takeovers, while also not writing them off as kids being kids.
—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
In addition to recentering the story, the new show shies away from violence on screen, so as to avoid sensationalizing Gacy.
—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
13 Nov. 2025
Notoriety trailed Woodhull through her life, but, rather than sensationalizing her scandals, Collinsworth highlights Woodhull’s flair for reinvention, and her drive to set the terms by which she would be remembered.
—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sensationalizing
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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After some behind-the-scene friction on Stranger Things, which Harbour and Brown have both acknowledged without elaborating on details, the two appear to have patched things up.
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Judge Weeks warned Daniel to limit his statement only to what the defense intends to prove after Daniel spent a significant portion of the statement elaborating on King’s background as an Army policeman, and his work with then-governor George Bush.
Verb
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Paternalistic tactics, such as overemphasizing IUDs and implants, undermined young people’s reproductive health preferences and goals.
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Still, overemphasizing national trend lines fails to acknowledge how new converts can change a community.
Cite this Entry
“Sensationalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sensationalizing. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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