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
Ridership using Access-on-Demand has ballooned tenfold since the program began five years ago.
—
Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 29 Sep. 2025
Since then, Prime has ballooned into a multi-pronged service that offers streaming entertainment, grocery delivery, fuel and food delivery perks, as well as subscriber-only deals.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Male bears are nearly twice the size of females, but both can rapidly balloon up from their individual starting weights.
—Gloria Dickie, Outside, 24 Sep. 2025
Miamians’ transportation expenses ballooned 66% between 2020 and 2023 alone, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, meaning many locals spend nearly 20% of their income just to get around.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 29 Sep. 2025
Since then, Prime has ballooned into a multi-pronged service that offers streaming entertainment, grocery delivery, fuel and food delivery perks, as well as subscriber-only deals.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Male bears are nearly twice the size of females, but both can rapidly balloon up from their individual starting weights.
—Gloria Dickie, Outside, 24 Sep. 2025
Miamians’ transportation expenses ballooned 66% between 2020 and 2023 alone, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, meaning many locals spend nearly 20% of their income just to get around.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balloon
Verb
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In 2024, that number increased just slightly—by less than 1%—compared to the year before.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
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Johnson’s detractors accuse him of championing Bukele despite his increasing abuses of power.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In aircraft design, various components can protrude from the plane’s body and disrupt this smooth airflow, introducing turbulence and increasing drag.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
2 Oct. 2025
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Deputy Thomas Zajac, first on the scene, found Heskett kneeling in the grass near the park’s Old Mill Trail, grasping a pocketknife protruding from his abdomen.—
Andi Babineau,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bright nighttime skies are on the way in Michigan as the year's first full supermoon will rise in the sky Monday, astronomers say.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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In six of the past seven seasons, the number of Englishmen playing in major leagues on the continent has risen.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That meant Hufanga spent a good chunk of the offseason not just learning a new system, but getting poked and prodded by his new coaches and running mate Jones.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
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The star compares calling out the sketch, which poked fun at her accent and teeth, to confronting a bully.—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Strays arrived at the Fox with a swelling profile driven by relentless road work and a fan base that spans country, rock and Americana.—
Brian McCollum,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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The protests then swelled to wider calls to stamp out corruption, repression and rising crime under President Dina Boluarte’s rule.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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RAKxa Jai, meanwhile, focuses on holistic wellness, with teams of staff offering a bulging book of treatments, including crystal healing, traditional Ayurvedic treatments and Marma Healing massage.—
Angelina Villa-Clarke,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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The Saetbyol-4, which shares the Global Hawk's bulging fuselage design, is a reconnaissance aircraft while the Saetbyol-9, like the Reaper, is an attack drone.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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They’re plugged into networks that carry influence and can accelerate advancement in business and career.—
Sarah Maokosy,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
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Once a scrappy research lab in San Francisco's Mission District, the company has since become more structured, enabling it to spin up cross-functional teams more quickly and accelerate the development and deployment cycles for products like Sora.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Educational Freedom Accounts program significantly expand state taxpayer funding of student tuition and other costs related to private schools and some home-school expenses.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Oct. 2025
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This is a sister organization to the Heritage Foundation, the think tank behind Project 2025—a sweeping conservative policy blueprint aimed at reshaping the federal government by expanding presidential power, dismantling parts of the civil service, and rolling back regulations across agencies.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balloon. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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