magnify
verb
mag·ni·fy
ˈmag-nə-ˌfī 
magnified; magnifying
1
2
a
: to increase in significance : intensify
real drama … will use ugliness to magnify beauty—
Alan Mickle
Alan Mickle
b
: exaggerate
magnifies every minor issue to crisis proportions
3
: to enlarge in fact or in appearance
The lens magnified the image 100 times.
: to have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they are
a glass that magnifies greatly
Examples of magnify in a Sentence
The sound was magnified by the calm air.
His failures have been magnified by the success of his friends.
I don't want to magnify the importance of these problems.
The lens magnified the image 100 times.
a magnified view of the image
Recent Examples on the Web
There were also questions about the ability of Space Center Houston to raise funding to house the shuttle within a new display area, which magnified concerns that the historical vehicle, like a Saturn V rocket before it, would be left outside in the region's humid environment.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
Smith’s struggles are magnified as a result, inching the prospect toward a crossroads after just 24 major-league plate appearances.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Among poorer communities, that difference is magnified to more than two fewer cavities per child with fluoridation.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2025
This being the beginning of the season, both good and bad streaks are magnified.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for magnify
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Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
Smith’s struggles are magnified as a result, inching the prospect toward a crossroads after just 24 major-league plate appearances.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Among poorer communities, that difference is magnified to more than two fewer cavities per child with fluoridation.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2025
This being the beginning of the season, both good and bad streaks are magnified.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for magnify
Cite this Entry
“Magnify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnify. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
magnify
verb
mag·ni·fy
ˈmag-nə-ˌfī
magnified; magnifying
2
a
: to increase in importance
b
3
: to enlarge in fact or in appearance
a microscope magnifies an object seen through it
magnifier
noun
-ˌfī(-ə)r
Medical Definition
magnify
verb
mag·ni·fy
ˈmag-nə-ˌfī
magnified; magnifying
: to enlarge in appearance
: to have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they are
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