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
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 As the spending in Michigan's Senate race ballooned, El-Sayed specifically criticized a pro-Israel political action committee, AIPAC, saying the organization had too much influence in politics. — Saige Miller, NPR, 5 Aug. 2026 Weekly ticket sales for the musical adaptation of The Lost Boys have been more promising, rising to a peak of $1,486,528, but the vampire show was running in the red for weeks, and its budget ballooned past the initial projections. — Marc Hershberg, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 The list of officers barred from testifying ballooned from just 66 in March 2023 to 290 in October 2024, shortly before then-Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx left office. — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026 By the next day, as the fire ballooned to more than eleven thousand acres, five towns in its path had to be evacuated. — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026 In Brest in Brittany, for example, forest cover stood at around 40 per cent in 100 BCE, but had ballooned to almost 90 per cent four centuries later. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026 Faced with more predators, prey and competition, their nervous systems rapidly ballooned to meet the new demands. — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballooned
  1. swollen
  2. increased
  3. protruded
  4. distended
  5. swelled
  6. poked
  7. puffed
  8. rose
Adjective
  • Symptoms can vary depending on where and how the infection got into the body, but are frequently associated with skin or other ulcers, along with swollen lymph nodes.
    — Jennifer McLogan, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • In a handwritten criminal complaint, Patty’s ex-wife described a disturbing physical altercation that allegedly left her with a swollen arm, neck pain and a bump on her head.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
Definition of swollen
Verb
  • More drones and missiles are slipping through both sides’ fraying air defenses, meaning that the civilian death toll has increased, and more critical infrastructure is being damaged.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Connecticut’s homeless population increased for the fifth year in a row — though at a lower rate than the previous two years.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 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
  • In the mid-20th century, Anglican congregations in Kenya swelled in size because of the East African Revival movement.
    — Stephanie TriplettAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Rowan ascended to the CEO role in 2021, and the company’s assets have swelled to over $1 trillion earlier this year.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of swelled
Verb
  • Offering a clever twist, the warm cake is poked with the handle of a wooden spoon, creating space for a vanilla-pineapple pudding to sink deep into the crumb.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Let sit at room temperature until buns are puffed and expanded to edges of muffin cups (dough will spring back when poked but hold a slight indentation), 25–35 minutes.
    — Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 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
  • The fragrance wraps Turkish rose—a honeyed, full-bodied bloom—in earthy notes of patchouli, sandalwood, and frankincense, while blackcurrant and raspberry add a touch of zest.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2026
  • By Michael Sasso, Bloomberg Prices of existing homes rose in 80% of US metropolitan areas in the second quarter, as home values pick up pace after several months of weakness.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 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 10 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ballooned

Nglish: Translation of ballooned for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All