1
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
2
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
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Recent Examples of balloon
Nearly 12 years on, the project remains ongoing and costs have ballooned.
—
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
After just 20 minutes, the crowd ballooned to 1,500 people.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Follower counts across multiple platforms for his non-government account, @GavinNewsom, ballooned -- growing to more than 11 million followers collectively.
—Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
And none of this money includes what other partner nations pay per year on upkeep of their modules and the care, feeding, and training of crews, ballooning the overall cost further.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
After just 20 minutes, the crowd ballooned to 1,500 people.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Follower counts across multiple platforms for his non-government account, @GavinNewsom, ballooned -- growing to more than 11 million followers collectively.
—Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
And none of this money includes what other partner nations pay per year on upkeep of their modules and the care, feeding, and training of crews, ballooning the overall cost further.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balloon
Verb
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The impact of the government shutdown increased as the Senate repeatedly failed to advance legislation to end the funding lapse.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Nov. 2025
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Last year, Reuters reported that the government was preparing to increase usage of crypto assets in its oil exports to overcome the US sanctions.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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To add to the hilarity, one of the dachshunds appeared to have chewed through a couch cushion and somehow gotten stuck inside it, with its head and legs filmed protruding through the torn fabric.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
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The early word was that the protruding pair was a customized version of Adidas Adistar Cushion 3 sneakers made specifically for Williams.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But Vanderbilt, as attention, pressure and fatigue rise on a pursuit no one outside its camp expected, is essentially two teams with two games left in the 2025 regular season.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Water levels of small streams may also rise rapidly.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The two-minute intro video poked gentle fun at British TV, gender politics, and artificial intelligence — and was made entirely with AI.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
11 Nov. 2025
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Shoving, tapping, poking and generally wanting to clobber the person snoring beside you doesn’t exactly put anyone in the mood for love either.—
Ian Kerner,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As the day wears on, the crowd swells to a formidable throng.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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Per BrightOcular, potential complications include infections, high pressure in the eye, glaucoma, inflammation of the iris, swelling in the cornea, loss of cells around the cornea, deterioration of the iris and more.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Swain agreed and boarded the red-eye to Heathrow toting a bulging roller suitcase packed full of financials.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Nov. 2025
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Suddenly 10 more heads surfaced, every bulging eye on us.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The researchers emphasized that policy support is crucial for accelerating this transition and building a robust recycling system.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
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Business leaders say that such policies risk accelerating an exodus of companies, diminishing the city’s commercial tax base, and ultimately affecting services and jobs essential to millions of New Yorkers.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In addition to WeRide and Pony AI, Baidu is also expanding its robotaxi offerings through its Apollo Go vehicles.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
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That includes a new and robust collaboration with Brazil’s federal government and 22 of its states—including Pará—to expand cooperation on climate action.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balloon. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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