sensationalize

American  

[sen-sey-shuh-nl-ahyz] / sɛnˈseɪ ʃə nlˌaɪz /

especially British, sensationalise

verb (used with object)

sensationalized, sensationalizing

1. to make sensational.

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sensationalize British  

/ sɛnˈseɪʃənəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to cause (events, esp in newspaper reports) to seem more vivid, shocking, etc, than they really are

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Other Word Forms

• desensationalize verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of sensationalize

First recorded in 1850–55; sensational + -ize

Explanation

To sensationalize is to exaggerate a story to make it more thrilling or alarming. Newspapers sometimes sensationalize a headline in order to sell more papers. TV, online news sources, and other media use this tactic all the time, sensationalizing the details of a news story, the headline describing it, or the images that accompany it. Watching the news can make you think that your city is becoming more dangerous, but it's not always true — often, the media has sensationalized a few crimes and made it seem that way. Sensationalize shares a Latin root with sensation that means "feeling."

Example Sentences

“Oftentimes, people—especially young scientists—want to call old discoveries by new names to sensationalize them,” she says.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2024

There is an almost abstract quality to the sound that is supposedly “in camera,” but part of the point of that is to not sensationalize the use of sound when possible.

From Salon • Jan. 25, 2024

Lelio approaches the material matter-of-factly, refusing to either sensationalize or desexualize the relationship; it’s a rare mainstream portrayal of same-sex attraction that considers both emotional and physical attraction on equal footing.

From New York Times • Jul. 7, 2023

“Demolition also removes efforts to further sensationalize the crime scene.”

From Seattle Times • Jun. 28, 2023

They tend to sensationalize — to appeal to the voyeuristic tendencies people have.

From 100 New Yorkers of the 1970s by Millard, Max