Meaning trap
dress up
exaggerate facts
To make something, especially information or a situation, seem more impressive, important, or attractive than it really is, often by exaggerating or presenting it in a misleadingly positive way.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To make something, especially information or a situation, seem more impressive, important, or attractive than it really is, often by exaggerating or presenting it in a misleadingly positive way.
'dress up' also has the more basic meaning 'wear smart or special clothes'; this is the advanced sense.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
The company tried to dress up its financial results to make the quarter look more successful than it actually was.
Some politicians tend to dress up their achievements during campaigns, making it difficult for voters to distinguish between genuine progress and exaggerated claims.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: He dressed up the failure like a success.
Say: He dressed up the failure as a success.
Use 'dress up X as Y' — 'as', not 'like'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Dress up' carries the spin/disguise nuance; the formal paraphrase loses the implied dishonesty.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
dress up + facts
- the figures
- the truth
- the report
- it as
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- dress up (wear smart or special clothes) — 'dress up' also has the more basic meaning 'wear smart or special clothes'; this is the advanced sense.