plural balloons
1
: a nonporous bag of light material that can be inflated especially with air or gas: such as
a
: a bag that is filled with heated air or a gas lighter than air so as to rise and float in the atmosphere and that usually carries a suspended load (such as a gondola with passengers)
b
: an inflatable bag (as of rubber or plastic) usually used as a toy or for decoration
c
medical
: a small bag that can be inflated (as in a bodily cavity) with air or gas
More than 700,000 Americans undergo procedures in which clogged arteries are cleared out with a balloon and then propped open with a tiny metal scaffold called a stent.—
Ron Winslow
Ron Winslow2
: the outline enclosing words spoken or thought by a figure especially in a cartoon
see also:
1
: relating to, resembling, or suggesting a balloon
a balloon sleeve
2
US
: having or being a final installment that is much larger than preceding ones in a term or installment note
a balloon note
a balloon mortgage
Got a commercial mortgage coming due? If the loan requires a balloon payment (as many such mortgages do), you may have a hard time refinancing …—INC
INC
ballooned; ballooning; balloons
1
: to swell or puff out : expand
ballooned to 200 pounds
2
: to ascend or travel in or as if in a balloon
3
: to increase rapidly
ballooning prices
Examples of balloon in a Sentence
Noun
I blew up a balloon but then it burst.
brightly colored balloons and other party decorations
Verb
Their credit card debt ballooned to more than $5,000.
the ballooning costs of education
Recent Examples on the Web
Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
After about a half dozen of Coleman’s relatives spoke to the crowd of attendees, blue and white balloons were passed out and released after the count of 10 into the sky to honor Coleman.
—Samuel O'Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2026
Dennis Romero, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2023
Such releases have been banned in a handful of states and cities, according to the anti-balloon release organization called Balloons Blow.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Apr. 2022
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 May 2026
OpenAI's models and services are so widespread that the company has ballooned to an $850 billion valuation and has forged partnerships with Microsoft cloud rivals Google, Oracle and, as of February, Amazon.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Electric bills keep climbing amid grid pressures, and the Key Bridge rebuild has seen costs balloon and timelines slip toward and maybe beyond 2030 after Moore dropped a major contractor.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
After about a half dozen of Coleman’s relatives spoke to the crowd of attendees, blue and white balloons were passed out and released after the count of 10 into the sky to honor Coleman.
—Samuel O'Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2026
Adjective
President Joe Biden delivered remarks about the objects Thursday, downplaying the possibility that the non-balloon objects shot down might also be tied to surveillance efforts.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2023
Such releases have been banned in a handful of states and cities, according to the anti-balloon release organization called Balloons Blow.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Apr. 2022
Verb
Leslie Jones, plugging her new HGTV series Roast My Rental, rattled off the names of a few of the two dozen cable networks on the roster (which ballooned after the 2022 merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery).
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 May 2026
OpenAI's models and services are so widespread that the company has ballooned to an $850 billion valuation and has forged partnerships with Microsoft cloud rivals Google, Oracle and, as of February, Amazon.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Cite this Entry
“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balloon. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
balloon
1 of 2 noun
bal·loon
bə-ˈlün 
1
: a bag of tough light material filled with heated gas or a gas lighter than air so as to rise and float in the atmosphere and that usually carries a suspended load (as a gondola with passengers)
2
: a toy or decoration consisting of an inflatable bag (as of rubber)
3
: an outline containing words spoken or thought by a character (as in a cartoon)
balloon
2 of 2 verb1
: to go up or travel in a balloon
2
: to swell or puff out
3
: to increase rapidly
ballooning prices
Medical Definition
balloon
1 of 2 noun
bal·loon
bə-ˈlün
: a nonporous bag of tough light material that can be inflated (as in a bodily cavity) with air or gas
gastroesophageal tamponade by introduction of a balloon into the stomach
balloon
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to inflate or distend like a balloon
: to swell or puff out
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