ballooned 1 of 2

adjective

as in expanded

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ballooned

2 of 2

verb

past tense of balloon
1
as in increased
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the number of students who stay home sick balloons every winter

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in protruded
to extend outward beyond a usual point the paper bag ballooned and blew away as the wind lifted it skyward

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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 ballooned
Verb
The Heat never looked back, as its lead ballooned to 25 points in the fourth quarter. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2026 The business began as a pandemic pop-up, which then grew into a Time Out Market stall, which then ballooned into this 8,000-square foot meat emporium in Bushwick. — Hilary Cadigan, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2026 Operating expenses have ballooned by 39% year over year, according to the company’s financial disclosure. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 Its borrowing costs ballooned to an astounding 15% earlier this month as investors grew concerned about its financial prospects. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026 And in the private markets, check sizes have ballooned but IPOs are few and far between. — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026 What started out as a small competition with a few analyst teams presenting ideas to the CEO has since ballooned into one of the company’s most popular events of the year. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 In the years since its inception, Evolution Mallorca ballooned into a destination festival showcasing the best of cinema produced in the region but also attracting major international names. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026 The 18 dates announced at the start of last week has now ballooned to 26, and stretches into November 2027, with additional shows locked in for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballooned
  1. swollen
  2. increased
  3. protruded
  4. distended
  5. swelled
  6. poked
  7. puffed
  8. rose
Adjective
  • As the cooling metal tool depuffs swollen tissues and stimulates microcirculation, the peptide-rich cream works beneath the surface to rebuild structural volume.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In addition, her arms were left swollen, blistered and bruised from the lethal injection drugs.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of swollen
Verb
  • The county also increased its general millage rate for fiscal year 2025-2026.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Rents have increased in this rural area, where the median income is around $50,000 a year.
    — Ayesha Rascoe, NPR, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of increased
Verb
  • The semiaquatic predator’s eyes would have also protruded from the skull, similar to the Indian gharial, because the eye sockets were raised like a telescope, Burke added.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The stranger’s hollow cheeks, his dark eyes, whose lashes always appeared wet, the bony shoulders that protruded from the singlet Chee Meng had lent him—all of it frightened Shawn.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of protruded
Adjective
  • Fiber slows gastric emptying, making the stomach more distended.
    — Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 27 May 2026
  • The distended episodes were littered with what feels like filler, little of which offered much in the way of narrative value.
    — Emma Flint, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2025
Definition of distended
Verb
  • The number of titles receiving airplay swelled from seven to 18, while stations playing at least one song of his increased from 72 to 94.
    — Russ Penuell, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Ongoing demonstrations over the housing shortage swelled in Spain and Portugal, where students set up tent camps in city squares.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of swelled
Verb
  • Kessler, standing nearby during Williams’ postgame news conference, poked his head out from behind a black curtain and gave his teammate a thumbs-up.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Already poked, the league bear hasn’t exactly gone into hibernation, either.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of poked
Adjective
  • The women wore maroon unitards with subtle puffed sleeves, while Danchig-Waring’s tank unitard featured two faces in profile, each hugging a side of his waist.
    — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Bake pancake until puffed and brown around edges, 20–25 minutes.
    — Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of puffed
Verb
  • Industrial equipment investment rose nearly 25%, which while not a straight AI trade, does partially reflect spending on data centers.
    — Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Federal Reserve researchers found that manufacturers whose input costs rose most under the 2018 tariffs employed 2% fewer workers than those least affected.
    — Stuart Loren, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of rose

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Cite this Entry

“Ballooned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballooned. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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