dramatize

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dram·a·tize / ˈdräməˌtīz/ • v. [tr.] adapt (a novel) or present (a particular incident) as a play or movie: Miss Akins intends to dramatize my book. ∎  present in a vivid or striking way: he used scare tactics to dramatize the deficit. ∎  exaggerate the seriousness or importance of (an incident or situation): they have a tendency to dramatize things.DERIVATIVES: dram·a·ti·za·tion / ˌdrämətiˈzāshən/ n.