ballooned 1 of 2

adjective

as in expanded

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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 ballooned
Verb
Prices had already been on the rise in recent years as EVs ballooned in popularity in Asia and Europe. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026 Across Argentina, young borrowers like 20-year-old law student Martín Taborda are drowning in small loans that ballooned into unpayable debts, forcing them to abandon studies and basic expenses. — Débora Rey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 They weren’t challenged in the second half by the Czechs as the lead ballooned to more than 40 points. — Doug Feinberg, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026 Nick Loftin added an RBI single as the lead ballooned to six runs. — Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2026 The big loser was the information sector, where an average decline of 8,000 per month over the past year ballooned to 23,000 in August. — Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026 The vast Pacific Ocean, with its remote and often sparsely populated island states, has ballooned in geopolitical importance over the past decade. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026 His website reportedly charged upwards of $50,000 for a banner ad on blog’s landing page in 2007, and traffic ballooned from there. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026 By Preeti Singh, Bloomberg A California pension’s tiny SpaceX investment has ballooned to about $2 billion, creating a windfall for the portfolio — and an unexpected headache. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballooned
  1. swollen
  2. increased
  3. protruded
  4. distended
  5. swelled
  6. poked
  7. puffed
  8. rose
Adjective
  • Historical records indicate that dikes were deliberately breached during a military conflict, allowing the swollen Yellow River to inundate the city.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The trouble was a bacterial abscess on the child’s neck, swollen, red, warm to the touch, about the size of a ping-pong ball, large enough to force the head into a tilt.
    — Eric Boodman, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of swollen
Verb
  • The eastward shift increased the chances of hurricane-force wind gusts on Niihau and possibly Kauai, especially at higher elevations, the hurricane center warned.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The restrictions have increased pressure on Chinese companies to develop domestic alternatives across the semiconductor supply chain.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of increased
Verb
  • In several looks, the hips protruded impressively outward, but the silhouette appeared more subtle and somewhat suitable for everyday wear in the label’s delicate camisole tops.
    — Kelly Niesen, Glamour, 24 July 2026
  • The skinny braids wrapped the bottom of the bun, while the thicker braids dressed the top, forming a cylinder shape that protruded from the crown of her head.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 29 June 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
  • Hundreds joined the insurgents that day, and their numbers soon swelled into the thousands.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday, Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticized Oracle for a contract that has now swelled to $27 billion.
    — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of swelled
Verb
  • Better together Industry analysts, experts and insiders have consistently poked holes in the states' argument that the combination of TV networks would create antitrust issues.
    — Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
  • So too were the buildings, including my hotel, which poked through the seven-foot-high snowbanks, looking like an ancient shipwreck covered in shifting sand.
    — Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of poked
Adjective
  • Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer, checking occasionally to make sure water isn’t boiling too rapidly, until matzo balls are very puffed and light in color, 30–40 minutes.
    — Molly Baz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Bake, 1 baking sheet at a time, in preheated oven until slightly puffed and golden brown, about 12 minutes.
    — Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
Definition of puffed
Verb
  • Focused on creating an immersive experience that starts upon arrival, Diaz enlisted a scent designer to create Disco Lace, a signature scent for Bar Leone that is a blend of lavender, rose and enoki.
    — Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Median pay for chief technology officers rose $809,587 from 2021 to 2025 while median pay for CEOs—typically the C-suite leader most likely to reap massive pay rewards—only rose $698,399.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of rose

Browse Nearby Words

balloon
ballooned
ballooning
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ballooned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballooned. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of hobnob

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All