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 Stephanopoulos pressed Burgum on why the cost of the no-bid contract has ballooned from $2 million to more than $15 million, while the pool still isn’t fixed. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 5 July 2026 However, electrification has quietly ballooned into a juggernaut with a $42 billion backlog, up from just $9 billion at the end of 2022. — Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 2 July 2026 New York spending on these adult daycares ballooned in recent years, with the bill to taxpayers nearly quadrupling from 2018 to 2024. — Laura Geller, CBS News, 1 July 2026 Anti-immigrant sentiment has ballooned as protest groups without evidence blame migrants for the country’s economic woes. — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for balloon

Recent Examples of Synonyms for balloon

Verb

The legislation reflects the complexity of the crisis, combining a total of 47 proposals aimed at increasing housing supply, reducing costs and expanding access to affordable homes.

— Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
On average, Google says this new data should increase your backup size by 40 MB.

— Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Definition of increase

Verb

Next, plug the separate, short USB-C cable protruding from the back support bar into the port on the seat's base.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 9 July 2026
The small black object protruding underneath the door kept showing up and the woman told her mother about her suspicions.

— Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026

Definition of protrude

Verb

The combination of rising demand, tighter schedules and growing sensitivity to pet welfare is pushing more people toward mobile options.

— Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
Gifts from foundations, such as those backed by the Samueli and Sun families, rose by about 3%, despite huge gains in stock markets and other assets that typically boost the financial health of foundations.

— Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 10 July 2026

Definition of rise

Verb

Her ears were a cotton-candy pink and were swollen under the thin wool.

— Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
In the end-credits sequence when Powell’s name appears, the music swells and intensifies, as if someone in the theater cranked the sound up to its maximum level just for him.

— Devon Ivie, Vulture, 7 July 2026

Definition of swell

Verb

As the influence of the Daoism of Celestial Masters spread, Zhang Daoling would also come to be seen as a powerful deity in his own right, often depicted with bulging eyes and wearing a red robe, accompanied by a tiger.

— Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
That ball found the head of Jude Bellingham, whose diving header bulged the net and opened the scoring.

— Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 5 July 2026

Definition of bulge

Verb

China’s mastery of rocket reuse would significantly expand the country’s launch capacity, accelerating its ability to close the gap.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
If the industry can prove that agent payments are bounded by clear permissions, easy audit trails, reliable dispute resolution, and obvious liability frameworks, adoption could accelerate quickly.

— Christer Holloman, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of accelerate

Verb

The legislation reflects the complexity of the crisis, combining a total of 47 proposals aimed at increasing housing supply, reducing costs and expanding access to affordable homes.

— Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Air Force partnership expands The award extends Asylon’s collaboration with the Air Force beyond autonomous security operations, an area where its robotic platforms already support active missions.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 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 15 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of balloon

verb

Example Sentences

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