elaborate (on)

Definition of elaborate (on)next
1
as in to exaggerate
to add to the interest of by including made-up details my friend tends to elaborate on his hiking experiences, turning an ordinary walk in the woods into a hair-raising adventure

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2
as in to develop
to express more fully and in greater detail the candidate for governor refused to elaborate on how she would balance the state's budget

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elaborate (on)
Verb
  • The South Korean military, which often accuses North Korea of exaggerating its military capabilities, did not immediately comment on Kim's claims.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In a letter to Congress, the former employees say this betrays that the infrastructure problems are being exaggerated.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Researchers have developed a paper-thin foot membrane that lets crawling microrobots harvest electricity directly from the ground beneath them, ditching heavy onboard batteries by turning metal and silicon surfaces into an active power source.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Neil Carleton, a cancer biologist and first-year resident physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said that breast tumors can develop and grow differently in older patients than in younger ones because of hormone levels and inflammation.
    — Allessandra DiCorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Just Douglas padding around in his socks, still as slim, handsome, and charming as ever.
    — Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The sort that wear padded, deep blue gilets with crisp white shirts.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The same architecture can now support another round of measurements from orbit as the constellation expands.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The episode ultimately reunites Constance with two of her children, Tate and Adelaide (Jamie Brewer), as the season continues to expand its connections to the show’s earlier installments.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • To supplement government aid during the surge, the Minneapolis Foundation collected millions of dollars from corporations based in the city.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The river water will supplement the Prettyboy and Loch Raven reservoirs and serve parts of Baltimore City and County.
    — Ellie Buckheit, Baltimore Sun, 3 Oct. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Elaborate (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elaborate%20%28on%29. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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