BALLOONED Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

ballooned 1 of 2

adjective

as in expanded

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

ballooned

2 of 2

verb

past tense of balloon

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

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

Bilateral trade between China and Russia ballooned to over $240 billion in 2024. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026 The roles there often come with grueling 12-hour shifts, but when thousands of workers threatened strikes at Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix, bonuses ballooned upwards of $500,000. — Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026 The inspector general’s office was created in 2022 to oversee the authority as spending ballooned past its original budget. — Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026 The number of arrests ballooned after ICE set an ambitious goal of 2,000 per day. — Charlotte Observer, 16 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 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballooned

Adjective

Typical symptoms are a high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle, bone or joint pain, nausea and vomiting, swollen glands, and skin rash.

— Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
The petition was inspired by a coyote with an extremely swollen face that roamed through a Studio City neighborhood for more than a year, which residents named Wendy.

— Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of swollen

Verb

Tensions have surged in the West Bank, and extremist Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians have increased exponentially, emboldened by right-wing, ultra-nationalist politicians in Israel's government.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
Now, with growing bipartisan opposition to the rapid buildout of data centers suggest that even ordinary residents of communities and voters have increased power to help pace the frontier from the bottom up.

— Bhaskar Chakravorti, Fortune, 20 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

Verb

His fortune has also swelled thanks to gains from his private investment firm DFO Management—which manages his wealth and capital—and invests in public stocks, private companies, real estate, and liquid corporate credit.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
Spurred by Barnett’s defiant message and federal officers’ arrival to escort Meredith, a mob of some 2,000 swelled by morning.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of swelled

Verb

The dog’s ribs poked out, her skin was irritated and red, and patches of fur were missing — a possible sign of mange.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
In between, Arsenal had plenty of attacking joy, particularly when the slick positional rotations of their right flank poked at the weak spot on the left of Chelsea’s defence.

— Liam Twomey, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of poked

Adjective

Re-cover and let the dough rise again in a warm spot until puffed and some bubbles have formed, about 1 hour.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of puffed

Browse Nearby Words

balloon

ballooned

ballooning

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ballooned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballooned. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ballooned

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nemesis

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes