Exaggeration/Hyperbole
Exaggeration/Hyperbole: blowing something up past what is true.
How to spot it
Blowing something up past what is true: "the worst president in history", "the most dangerous bill ever written", "destroyed the economy". Superlatives and absolutes, like "never", "always", "everyone" and "total", are the usual signs.
What doesn't count
A big claim backed by a big number isn't exaggeration. "Prices rose 40% in two years" is checkable. Obvious figures of speech that no one takes literally, like "a mountain of paperwork", aren't the technique either.
Real examples
Each was flagged by Semblen's model, then chosen to stay on this page, so the examples don't change from day to day. A quote in a news article may be the outlet reporting what someone else said, and an ad may be quoting its opponent. Follow each link to check it in context.
In the news
“killed millions of babies”
“greatest con job ever perpetuated on the world”
“MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY”
“sort of like a nuclear weapon”
“the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY!”
“forever discredited”
“THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY”
In 2026 campaign ads
“No one has made more empty promises than Susan Collins”
“Worst Governor in America”
“Never worked a day in his life!”
“a party that wants no prisons, no police, no borders”
“LARGEST TAX INCREASE in American History”
In government statements
“never before has any nation celebrated so magnificent a triumph as this one”
“Their air force is gone, their navy is gone, they have 159 ships, every one of them is right now at the bottom of the sea”
“most dominant energy superpower in the history of the world”
“MOST SECURE border in American history”
“largest tax HIKE in HISTORY”
“the greatest nation man has ever known”
Related techniques
Something wrong or unclear on this page?
Tell us. A person reads every note. Use Yes / No under any example if it isn't really exaggeration/hyperbole: two readers saying no takes it off the page.
Check something yourself
Paste an article, a speech or a video link into the analyzer and Semblen marks the words that use exaggeration/hyperbole or any other technique, and says why. It flags rhetorical techniques, not political tilt.