puff out
phrasal verb
puffed out; puffing out; puffs out
: to make (something) larger and rounder by filling it with air
She puffed her cheeks out and blew out the candles.
A gust of wind puffed out the boat's sails.
Examples of puff out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Yeah but … so many of their wins have been close, too close for anyone involved to puff out their chest as February begins.
—
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
In a video of the incident, about a half-dozen women, unarmed and dressed for the classroom, square off against at least four masked agents of the federal government, their chests puffed out under bulky tactical gear.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026
If that is the case, the Ring Nebula could be a portent of what awaits Earth in around 5 billion years when the sun runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion and puffs out to become a red giant.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2026
For example, lifting the eyebrows while keeping the forehead smooth; puffing out the cheeks and holding it; or gently pressing against the jawline to enhance neck muscles.
—Essence, 14 Jan. 2026
After a few weeks on creatine, my muscles felt a little more puffed out, which was fun, but my physique didn’t change dramatically.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 3 Jan. 2026
The veteran coach had his chest puffed out throughout his postgame news conference.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
When that happens, stars puff out into red giants.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Male turkeys puff out their feathers and fan their tails to attract females.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 10 July 2025
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Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
In a video of the incident, about a half-dozen women, unarmed and dressed for the classroom, square off against at least four masked agents of the federal government, their chests puffed out under bulky tactical gear.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026
If that is the case, the Ring Nebula could be a portent of what awaits Earth in around 5 billion years when the sun runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion and puffs out to become a red giant.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2026
For example, lifting the eyebrows while keeping the forehead smooth; puffing out the cheeks and holding it; or gently pressing against the jawline to enhance neck muscles.
—Essence, 14 Jan. 2026
After a few weeks on creatine, my muscles felt a little more puffed out, which was fun, but my physique didn’t change dramatically.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 3 Jan. 2026
The veteran coach had his chest puffed out throughout his postgame news conference.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
When that happens, stars puff out into red giants.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Male turkeys puff out their feathers and fan their tails to attract females.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puff out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puff%20out. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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