Quotation record · reviewed 2026-08-09
Circulates under Mark Twain
Editorial status
Twain did respond to a death rumor, but his reported wording was singular and shorter. The plural ‘reports’ and ‘greatly exaggerated’ are later reshaping of the sentence.
The report of my death was an exaggeration.
Earliest traceable appearance in this record: 1897 response by Twain to a New York Journal death report.
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