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

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
  • The annual monsoon season frequently triggers flooding in Assam, where swollen rivers inundate large areas and displace thousands of residents each year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The department urged residents to seek medical care immediately if a wound exposed to brackish or salt water becomes red, swollen, painful, warm or discolored, and to tell their health care provider about the water exposure.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 8 Aug. 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
  • The man — holding one bladed weapon in each hand — responded by walking down 41st Avenue away from a growing mass of officers, which quickly swelled from just a couple to at least 10.
    — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • As her pregnancy progressed, Kabita’s belly swelled while the rest of her remained gaunt.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of swelled
Verb
  • In the 2024 playoffs, Carrington poked Fever phenom Caitlin Clark in the eye.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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 price swung between $72 and $102 last month as hopes rose and fell that the United States and Iran could reach an agreement that would allow oil tankers to freely exit the Middle East again to deliver crude worldwide.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the share of California public safety employees with at least 15 years of tenure dramatically rose from about 10% in 1996 to 47% in 2024.
    — Mariana Trujillo, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of rose

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balloon
ballooned
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Cite this Entry

“Ballooned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballooned. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ballooned

Nglish: Translation of ballooned for Spanish Speakers

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