verb
to give an elaborate account of, often with florid language and fictitious details
embroidered the story of his adventures in the army
Synonyms: color, embellish, exaggerate, fudge, magnify, overcharge, overdraw, overpaint, overstate, pad, stretch
Related Word: aggrandize, amplify, build up, distend, elaborate, enhance, enlarge (upon), expand; dramatize, hyperbolize, overdo, overelaborate, overembellish, overemphasize, overestimate
Idioms: lay it on thick, stretch ( or strain) the truth
Contrasted words: deemphasize, minimize, play (down), underestimate, understate