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
Rising mortgage rates have further burdened buyers, with monthly payments ballooning beyond reach for many.
—
Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
As Bowyer continued to increase Mizuhara’s credit line, the interpreter’s debt quickly ballooned into the millions, paid down via installments in the form of six-figure wires bearing Ohtani’s name.
—David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025
Costs quickly ballooned for other reasons — Figgis uses on-screen titles to display key budget figures, which is another rarity in this kind of doc — and the actors tended to either go with the flow or begin to lose it.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
The specter of inflation will only reappear if the Fed balloons the money supply.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
As Bowyer continued to increase Mizuhara’s credit line, the interpreter’s debt quickly ballooned into the millions, paid down via installments in the form of six-figure wires bearing Ohtani’s name.
—David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025
Costs quickly ballooned for other reasons — Figgis uses on-screen titles to display key budget figures, which is another rarity in this kind of doc — and the actors tended to either go with the flow or begin to lose it.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
The specter of inflation will only reappear if the Fed balloons the money supply.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balloon
Verb
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Federal Supplement Security Income payments would increase for January but those payments would be made at the end of December.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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But there is really no reason why this should be the case for Pilates—which consists of different low-impact movements to strengthen your core muscles, increase your flexibility, improve your posture and give you more awareness of your body in general.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sharks are often imagined cruising just beneath the waves, dorsal fin protruding from the dark, ocean waters to alert people of their incoming doom.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Hammer four nails about an inch apart into a cross shape at the center of your board so that the heads protrude at least an inch.—
Peter Barrett,
Outside,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Set in early-1960s New York City, the film follows a folk song singing Minnesotan with a guitar and a dream, rising from a coffeehouse performer to a counterculture legend.—
Hannah Kerns,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Gabby Provenzano rose at the near post and powered home a header from point-blank range in the 81st minute, assisted by Sabrina McNeill’s cross off a corner.—
Shane Connuck,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Stars not just in front of, but within the dusty nebula, poke through all but the densest gas.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
8 Sep. 2025
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In July 2024, Thompson's daughter Gaia shared a cheeky post on her Instagram Stories poking fun at 2023's Barbie movie's tagline — and Thompson's ex, Kenneth Branagh.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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During livestreams of Timmer’s tornado chases, large audiences swell and follow along in the hunt from the safety of home.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
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These reports became a short story and then swelled to something else.—
Michael Jerome Plunkett
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To be a real man, according to this content, young adolescent boys are expected to be tall and broad-shouldered with bulging biceps, pronounced trapezius muscles, and washboard abs.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
4 Sep. 2025
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The man displayed his find—a bulging-eyed doll with prominent teeth, enormous ears and a fuzzy body.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rallied 1% after data showed accelerating growth in earnings for Japanese workers.—
Stan Choe,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Google and Meta on Friday announced new partnerships with Reliance Industries as the Indian conglomerate seeks to accelerate its push into artificial intelligence.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The tournament expanded from 24 teams to 32 at the start of the 1999-2000 season, with a second group stage then played before being replaced with the round of 16 in 2003-04.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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This shift is reinforced by Russia’s push to expand its eastward infrastructure through the Power of Siberia pipelines cementing a more permanent divide in global energy markets.—
Earl Carr,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balloon. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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