BALLOON Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

balloon

verb

Definition of balloon

as in to increase

to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the number of students who stay home sick balloons every winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to protrude

to extend outward beyond a usual point the paper bag ballooned and blew away as the wind lifted it skyward

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of balloon The numbers have grown as well, ballooning to around 5,000 during the height of the semiquincentennial celebration. — Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026 Unsurprisingly, this has ballooned into a national story with teammates and opponents staging protests. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Shoppers hoping for a respite from rising inflation were again disappointed in September, as prices ballooned again, far overshooting the Federal Reserve’s target rate. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026 County made a trio of 3-pointers in the second half as the lead ballooned to as many as 24 points with about four and a half minutes to play. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for balloon

Recent Examples of Synonyms for balloon

Verb

Kim Hong-Cheol, the South Korean military official, said leaving the dispute over the military demarcation line unresolved would increase the risk of accidental clashes because troops from both sides act on their own understanding of the line.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
As rain chances increase overnight, the temperature will drop to 40 degrees.

— Hali Smith October 23, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of increase

Verb

A couple of sections in the shade, on the home sideline, rose a bit more than 3%.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
But then shipping disruptions, rising fuel costs, and steep international tariffs made exporting increasingly difficult, prompting Yu to turn her attention to building a domestic market.

— Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of rise

Verb

Ask it to poke holes and give you the strongest case against something.

— Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Kessler, standing nearby during Williams’ postgame news conference, poked his head out from behind a black curtain and gave his teammate a thumbs-up.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of poke

Verb

Engineers trying to support swelling AI workloads, video streaming, and cloud services often add thicker cables with more fiber pairs.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Hedge fund assets swell With gross assets now standing at about $13 trillion, hedge funds have become an increasingly important part of the global investor landscape, the IMF said on Tuesday.

— Hugh Leask, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of swell

Verb

Simmons has yet to make his season debut because of a bulging disk in his back, and Rice injured his hamstring during Kansas City’s Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

— Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2026
In the grayness that should have been sunrise that morning, dark clouds sagged baggily over the very treetops, bulging as if ready to split under their liquid weight.

— Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of bulge

Verb

The car can accelerate from zero-60 in less than a second and perform feats that once belonged in science fiction.

— Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
The company says the changes are intended to make electric vehicles more affordable while accelerating development and manufacturing.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of accelerate

Verb

An interceptor that can engage targets at greater distances could expand the area protected by existing air defense units.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Founded by three childhood friends, Olivier Bon, Pierre-Charles Cros, and Romée de Gorianoff, who were later joined by Xavier Padovani, the Experimental Group gradually expanded to encompass wine bars, restaurants, and boutique hotels.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of expand

Browse Nearby Words

ball of wax

balloon

ballooned

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balloon. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of balloon

verb

Example Sentences

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