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 The following year, that number ballooned to 18, with 14 in Los Angeles County. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026 Her public profile has continued to balloon at each viral moment. — Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026 After the Fourth of July, the pool was drained for a second time so workers could once again make repairs for the project that has ballooned in cost. — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 This tracks, given that production budgets have ballooned in recent years meaning that many more programs fall within this category. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for balloon

Recent Examples of Synonyms for balloon

Verb

Traffic through the strait is beginning to increase, but remains sharply depressed.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Boston increased its lead to 6-4 in the sixth on an RBI triple from Abreu when right fielder Jung Hoo Lee misplayed a line drive.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of increase

Verb

Tropical Hibiscus Tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), as the name suggests, is native to tropical climates in Asia and produces dramatic, vibrant flowers that can grow up to 6 inches in diameter with protruding stamens.

— Shelby Vittek, The Spruce, 15 Aug. 2026
Akhenaten, who may have been the boy-king’s father, was depicted in artwork as having wide hips and a protruding belly, which stood out from portraits of other Egyptian royalty.

— Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of protrude

Verb

The footage mixes high-speed chases and explosive action with comedic beats, framing a story built around chaos, mismatched heroism and rising stakes as the mission unfolds.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
With five minutes of task-specific data and 10 gradient steps, its average success rate rose to 83%.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of rise

Verb

Loose rocks, chunks of concrete and rusted metal are among the items that have emerged as powerful storm swells remove layers of sand along Newport Beach.

— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Pain, swelling around a joint, and stiffness in the muscles or ligaments around the joint are just some reasons movement may become restricted.

— RikkiLynn Shields Hannigan, HEALTH, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of swell

Verb

Infants may act sluggish or not active, vomit, be unusually fussy, face poor feeding, show a bulging soft spot on the head, or show poor reflexes.

— Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Padmini came in about ten minutes later, carrying a net bag bulging with okra and shiny gourds.

— Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of bulge

Verb

Broadcom sits roughly 50% below its average Wall Street price target while the AI infrastructure build-out continues to accelerate.

— Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
The trend of declining foreign enrollment could accelerate after recent changes to decades-old policies limiting the ability of visa holders to change majors, switch schools and remain in the US after graduation.

— Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of accelerate

Verb

Earlier this month, Spotify announced plans to expand its own AI labeling, focusing on telling users when an artist is artificial rather than specific songs.

— James Peckham, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
Longtime American soccer reporter Pablo Maurer’s story outlines a potential 20-team competition that expands the postseason field by two while also adding incentives for teams to finish higher in the table.

— Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of expand

Browse Nearby Words

ball of wax

balloon

ballooned

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balloon. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of balloon

verb

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