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
Garcia followed up Burroughs’ two made free throws by making both technical foul shots and Saugus’ lead ballooned to 43-33.
—
Matt Wagner, Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Oregon’s lead ballooned to 47-24 at halftime.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Amid the rising cost factors, the specialty features of newer high schools and vocational schools have ballooned project prices further.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
As a result, the Oscar party guest list—which always includes all the nominees and their plus-ones—ballooned.
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Matt Wagner, Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Oregon’s lead ballooned to 47-24 at halftime.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Amid the rising cost factors, the specialty features of newer high schools and vocational schools have ballooned project prices further.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
As a result, the Oscar party guest list—which always includes all the nominees and their plus-ones—ballooned.
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balloon
Verb
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Trump’s increasing willingness to use overwhelming military force to pursue American interests abroad throws that calculus into question.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Mar. 2026
-
City records from November show police planned to install six more cameras and increase lighting.—
Cameron Knight,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The jaguar growled, whirled and bit off the protruding head of the arrow.—
Delbert L. Chears,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
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And yes, the non-recessed device does indeed protrude out from the bottom of the shoe, so it's intended for use with road bike shoes and pedals only.—
Ben Coxworth
March 03,
New Atlas,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Over the years, Franklin has risen from special teams ace to every-down linebacker.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
This shift comes amid rising government instability in Africa.—
Adrian Elimian,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But researchers who studied crocodiles at an outdoor recreation center near Cape Town appear to have poked a hole in that approach.—
Regina G. Barber,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
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Featured in this article What’s more, hotel pillows often have other special features, including down-proof encasements (meaning feathers won’t poke through the cover over time).—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In contrast, health care is a labor-intensive industry that’s become more central to the economy as baby boomers retire; the number of people collecting Social Security swelled by more than 2 million last year alone.—
Conor Sen,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
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Dreaming about winning that swelling $533 million Mega Millions prize?—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To stabilize bulging sides, drive rebar rods into the soil along the exterior of the beds.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Mar. 2026
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Fibroids that bulge into the uterine cavity—called submucosal fibroids—are often associated with the most significant bleeding changes, regardless of size.—
Beth Krietsch,
SELF,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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China’s consumer-price growth accelerated to the quickest in over three years and factory deflation moderated again, after a rally in energy markets and as household spending boomed during a later-than-usual Lunar New Year holiday.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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But record-breaking temperatures in recent years have led scientists to question whether the pace of temperature gains is accelerating.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Situationist is also expanding its team, with a new office above the new store.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
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Republican lawmakers are opposed to expanding health care to undocumented immigrants, and particularly ready to attack Democrat efforts to raise new revenues to do so.—
Andrew Graham
March 9,
Sacbee.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balloon. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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