as in expanded
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Dissimilar Words
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
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Recent Examples of ballooned
Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 9 May 2026
The project’s vast ambitions have already accrued about five years of delay, and, all told, its price to taxpayers has ballooned to nearly $5 billion.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 May 2026
Over the past decade, homelessness has skyrocketed by 40 percent, even as homelessness spending has ballooned.
—Christopher Calton, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
Net losses ballooned as per above from $453 million.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 May 2026
By 2025, as the team pushed toward another title run, her renewal quote for the 2026 season had ballooned to nearly $1,700.
—Asli Pelit, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Since then, the price tag attached to the project has ballooned.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 6 May 2026
As the Iran war drags on, concerns over rising gas prices and other costs have ballooned, sending consumer sentiment plummeting.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
As his fame ballooned, fans started showing up at his family’s home, and he’s asked, repeatedly and clearly, for everyone to please stop.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
The collective values of those assets have ballooned over time, thanks to a surging stock market, rising home values and a steady accumulation of home equity.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 9 May 2026
The project’s vast ambitions have already accrued about five years of delay, and, all told, its price to taxpayers has ballooned to nearly $5 billion.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 May 2026
Over the past decade, homelessness has skyrocketed by 40 percent, even as homelessness spending has ballooned.
—Christopher Calton, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
Net losses ballooned as per above from $453 million.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 May 2026
By 2025, as the team pushed toward another title run, her renewal quote for the 2026 season had ballooned to nearly $1,700.
—Asli Pelit, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Since then, the price tag attached to the project has ballooned.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 6 May 2026
As the Iran war drags on, concerns over rising gas prices and other costs have ballooned, sending consumer sentiment plummeting.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
As his fame ballooned, fans started showing up at his family’s home, and he’s asked, repeatedly and clearly, for everyone to please stop.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballooned
Verb
-
California alone spent $24 billion in 5 years fighting homelessness, yet the number of homeless increased.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
-
Greek food has always been on the menu at Skippers, but the demand for it has increased over time.—
Sarah Kyrcz,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Under the flaps of his jacket there was a small tear in his T-shirt, directly over his left nipple, which protruded like a knot of purple rope.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
Shards of glass and ceramic, rusted metal, medical and bio-waste, syringes, cracked circuit boards, and broken electronics protruded everywhere.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This story begins 3,500 years ago in ancient Egypt, where an extract from the corms and seeds of the Mediterranean or autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale) was used for treating rheumatism and swollen joints.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
-
Plus, thanks to their more open thong-style straps, these sandals make a great choice for those prone to swollen feet or who might need roomier options.—
Aashna Gheewalla,
PEOPLE,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Becerra has since won endorsements from influential labor groups and Latino state leaders, and his once anemic fundraising has swelled.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
-
The popularity of Dry January has swelled.—
Luis Parrales,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Many curious passersby poked their heads inside, wondering if the restaurant was serving food again.—
Iris Kwok
May 12,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
Holding her breath, Ana poked her head into the coop.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The Wild sold the Beer Twigs during the regular season, but the team has seen an uptick in sales since the games rose in importance.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
Courts were backed up, the jail population rose once again, and absenteeism became rampant among corrections officers.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The Apple engineers’ eyes bulged in astonishment.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Angelenos’ eyes bulged at the $1,500-a-head price tag.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Once per act, a second duo crashes in on Didi and Gogo, providing the tramps’ power balance with a lurid, distended foil.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ballooned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballooned. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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