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
In the last year, the population at the facility has ballooned from three individuals to nearly 2,000, leading to crowding and worsening conditions, according to the complaint.
—
Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
After the 2021 coup, much of that investment was withdrawn, inflation ballooned, and the country’s currency, the kyat, collapsed.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
But interest ballooned, with early, rarer cards attracting particular fervor.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 23 Jan. 2026
For the lowest income quintile, Medicaid and CHIP benefits ballooned from representing just 9% of their income in 1979 to 48% in 2022.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
After the 2021 coup, much of that investment was withdrawn, inflation ballooned, and the country’s currency, the kyat, collapsed.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
But interest ballooned, with early, rarer cards attracting particular fervor.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 23 Jan. 2026
For the lowest income quintile, Medicaid and CHIP benefits ballooned from representing just 9% of their income in 1979 to 48% in 2022.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balloon
Verb
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Research shows more adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, with incidence increasing over the last three decades.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
31 Jan. 2026
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When applied to the scalp, minoxidil increases blood flow and stimulates your hair follicles to regrow hair.—
Caroline C. Boyle,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This season, Roseberry continued his mission with a haute couture collection that featured replica reptilian textures, protruding tusk breasts, scorpion bustiers and a translucent two-piece skirt suit rendered in hyperreal blowfish scales.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
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Models walked the runway in overcoats with shoulder pads, hourglass suits, pencil skirts and bra tops, with cylinder ponytails protruding from the sides of their heads.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Growth in services consumption outpacing goods expenditure largely reflects rising average income levels and would likely have occurred even without policy support, said Duncan Wrigley, chief China economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
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As the temperature rose, Mccullough said some workers clocked off at lunchtime, and other businesses closed early.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Hadn’t poked my nose in anywhere, hadn’t seen anything, and just really enjoyed watching the film.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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And the Banchet’s executive director, Michael Muser, poked at food influencers, made fun of the rising popularity of alcohol-free wine and jabbed at some restaurants using AI for creating recipes.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Side effects reported from Adam’s first human trial included mild bruising and swelling from the procedure, though these were minimal and resolved within 24 hours.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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Interconnection queues have swelled to historic levels, with gigawatts of ready-to-build generation projects waiting years for grid connection studies and upgrades.—
Jon Markman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The surrounding metropolitan area has similarly bulged.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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The workshop was a leather Pouch, bulging with what a child can win.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The race to commercialize perovskite technology has accelerated rapidly in recent years.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
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The transfer portal, which opened Friday, allows programs to accelerate the rebuilding process and replace departing players — more than 20 in Florida’s case.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Jennie headlined Coachella as a solo artist while expanding her fashion ventures.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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In recent years, auction houses have expanded their categories as luxury goods and collectibles have helped buoy their sales.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balloon. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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