BALLOON Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

balloon

verb

Definition of balloon

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

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of balloon Shirts were punctuated by knife pleats that ballooned in the back, while cascading pleats fluttered down the side of skirts. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026 On Wednesday the prince was backed by a whole new set of lock-screen photos and said the number had ballooned. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026 Bilateral trade between China and Russia ballooned to over $240 billion in 2024. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026 The high speed rail project, which voters first approved nearly 20 years ago, has become a political liability for Democrats as budget estimates have ballooned and the project has been delayed for years due to litigation and regulatory hurdles. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for balloon

Recent Examples of Synonyms for balloon

Verb

Contributions would increase depending on family size, with a family of four expected to pay $500,000, officials said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Europe in particular appears vulnerable to increasing borrowing costs, with inflation in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain all exceeding analysts’ expectations.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of increase

Verb

Ping Ping, the male, has dark black circles around his eyes, while Fu Shuang, the female, has a forehead that protrudes a bit, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
As has the part where Reacher uses his left paw with two nails protruding from the palm as a makeshift Wolverine/Freddy Krueger stabbin’ hand.

— Chris Klimek, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of protrude

Verb

Those challenges become tomorrow’s workforce shortages, rising health care costs, and lost economic potential.

— Stanley McChrystal, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
It is inspired by the true story of the world’s first celebrity chef, Antonin Carême (Voisin), who rose from humble beginnings in Paris to the height of culinary stardom in Napoleon’s Europe.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of rise

Verb

Sometimes only the tips of the reeds and the seed heads were visible, poking above the murky water, and other times the reeds stood fully exposed, with a clear view of crabs clambering around their bases.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Video posted to social media showed one car nearly submerged, with just its sunroof poking above the water, as people moved other vehicles farther from the rising tides.

— Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of poke

Verb

Who better, then, to tackle the equally epic story of the bond market and America’s $40 trillion—and swelling—national debt?

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026
Forecasters are warning about dangerous conditions at Southern California beaches this week, with high surf, erosion and possible coastal flooding, as a pair of storms roil warm Pacific waters and send yet more southerly swells toward the shoreline.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of swell

Verb

Check for dented seams and bulging lids, which can point to food safety issues, recommends Morawetz.

— Embry Roberts, Martha Stewart, 19 Sep. 2026
Her bulging eyes, her piercing shrieks, her casual yet immaculately articulate cruelty all come together to form a cartoonish villain who’s also a commanding delight.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of bulge

Verb

The same architecture can now support another round of measurements from orbit as the constellation expands.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
The episode ultimately reunites Constance with two of her children, Tate and Adelaide (Jamie Brewer), as the season continues to expand its connections to the show’s earlier installments.

— Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of expand

Browse Nearby Words

ball of wax

balloon

ballooned

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balloon. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of balloon

verb

Example Sentences

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