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
The Max Road Fire in the Everglades has ballooned to over 11,000 acres burned in South Florida.
—
Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Roanoke, Virginia, is one of those rare mountain destinations that has everything—an airport, a buzzy arts and culture scene, new boutique hotels, and a pedestrian-friendly greenway, all paired with a real estate market that has yet to balloon as much as other Blue Ridge areas.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2026
The project’s vast ambitions have already accrued about five years of delay, and, all told, its price to taxpayers has ballooned to nearly $5 billion.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 May 2026
Over the past decade, homelessness has skyrocketed by 40 percent, even as homelessness spending has ballooned.
—Christopher Calton, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Roanoke, Virginia, is one of those rare mountain destinations that has everything—an airport, a buzzy arts and culture scene, new boutique hotels, and a pedestrian-friendly greenway, all paired with a real estate market that has yet to balloon as much as other Blue Ridge areas.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2026
The project’s vast ambitions have already accrued about five years of delay, and, all told, its price to taxpayers has ballooned to nearly $5 billion.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 May 2026
Over the past decade, homelessness has skyrocketed by 40 percent, even as homelessness spending has ballooned.
—Christopher Calton, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balloon
Verb
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Salah’s comments followed a limp 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa on Friday that increased criticism of Slot and questions about his future in the job.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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In Los Angeles, for example, the city spent more than 50 million dollars in 2021 on policing homelessness, yet unsheltered homelessness still increased.—
Shianne LeClaire,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Under the flaps of his jacket there was a small tear in his T-shirt, directly over his left nipple, which protruded like a knot of purple rope.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
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And in turn, the 867-foot monolith protruding from the surrounding Wyoming prairie like the stump of the world’s largest tree became a big draw for tourists.—
Marnie Hunter,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Verb
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As tensions rise between the United States and China over trade, technology, Taiwan and military influence, the relationship between the world’s two largest economies is increasingly shaping global politics and national security debates.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
15 May 2026
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The national debt has surpassed the GDP, Social Security and Medicare face looming financial crises, inflation is rising, families are struggling — and yet Congress does nothing.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Spikes of speedwell look lovely poking up along the edges of paths and garden beds in summer.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
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Some birds also will poke holes in the ground looking for tasty critters.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Regulators stood down, competition was crushed or acquired, and profit margins swelled to levels with few historical precedents.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
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The inflammation will show as irritation, redness, and swelling.—
Brandi Jones,
Health,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Her stomach bulged beneath her I ❤ FLORIDA boatneck and her face was round and waxy-pale.—
Stephen King,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
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But if the gland expands or droops, which is common with age, a portion of it can escape those confines, bulging out below the jawbone and appearing as a lump in the neck.—
Jolene Edgar,
Allure,
14 May 2026
Verb
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China's economy appeared to be starting the year on a strong note, with GDP growth accelerating to 5% in the first quarter.—
Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
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Their hand is also forced by climate change, war and the accelerating rush for timber and minerals.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Officials allege the group sold the oil under false pretenses and used the profits to sustain and expand the original food fraud scheme.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
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The potential downside of a long layoff has been a hot topic in baseball ever since MLB expanded its playoff field in 2022, awarding first-round byes to the top-two seeds in each league.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balloon. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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