as in expanded
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ballooned
Devika Krishna Kumar, Fortune, 6 June 2026
The city of Boise paused a water recycling project after its price tag ballooned from $56 million to $750 million.
—Idaho Statesman, 4 June 2026
The cost ballooned from the initial estimates of $350 million.
—ABC News, 4 June 2026
Those situations — runners in scoring position — ballooned the Royals’ team totals in 2024.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
Anthropic has experienced explosive growth this year, announcing in May that its revenue run rate had ballooned to $47 billion, up from $10 billion in revenue in 2025.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 June 2026
That wouldn’t change if the CFP ballooned to 48 teams.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 1 June 2026
These enclaves emerged as cruise ships ballooned in size and can provide a more private, serene experience away from the ever-growing roster of restaurants, theaters, water parks, and entertainment venues.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2026
Crawley claims Augment’s assets—almost entirely pre-IPO shares in private tech companies—have ballooned from under $200 million to more than $1 billion over the last 12 months, driven largely by Anthropic’s skyrocketing value.
—Phoebe Liu, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Verb
That drop-off has come in part as the nation stopped growing its giant strategic stockpile, which has ballooned in recent years.
—Devika Krishna Kumar, Fortune, 6 June 2026
The city of Boise paused a water recycling project after its price tag ballooned from $56 million to $750 million.
—Idaho Statesman, 4 June 2026
The cost ballooned from the initial estimates of $350 million.
—ABC News, 4 June 2026
Those situations — runners in scoring position — ballooned the Royals’ team totals in 2024.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
Anthropic has experienced explosive growth this year, announcing in May that its revenue run rate had ballooned to $47 billion, up from $10 billion in revenue in 2025.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 June 2026
That wouldn’t change if the CFP ballooned to 48 teams.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 1 June 2026
These enclaves emerged as cruise ships ballooned in size and can provide a more private, serene experience away from the ever-growing roster of restaurants, theaters, water parks, and entertainment venues.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2026
Crawley claims Augment’s assets—almost entirely pre-IPO shares in private tech companies—have ballooned from under $200 million to more than $1 billion over the last 12 months, driven largely by Anthropic’s skyrocketing value.
—Phoebe Liu, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballooned
Verb
-
Ghirri’s oversize Polaroids, which increased the usual scale of his modest images to roughly tabloid size, were mounted on hefty support columns clad in coir, a jute-like material used for doormats, obviously intended to thwart any suggestion of monumentality.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
Local leaders in Greeley say demand for power has increased significantly in recent decades.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The hilt of a sword protruded from his back, snug beside a pack as tight as an angry fist.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
Most adults including pregnant people either have no symptoms or experience mild, flu-like illness such as fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, and muscle or joint aches.—
Dr. Megan Yanny,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
First symptoms often include extreme tiredness, headaches, swollen lymph nodes and muscle aches.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Lucas Mukasa / Anadolu via Getty Images Angry protests swelled Monday, including in the central town of Nanyuki, which is set to host the quarantine center.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
2 June 2026
-
As crowds outside the venue swelled, officials brought in an additional 200 law enforcement officers during the early afternoon.—
Sofia Baltodano,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Even at the height of his fame, there were dubious aspects of his personal life — often self-seeded to sustain his enigma — that poked hellified holes in his impermeability as an entertainer.—
Rodney Carmichael,
NPR,
3 June 2026
-
In the roadside planters, green sprouts poked up.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Guests arrive at breakfast in white linen shirts and silver Havanas and hang out by the pool drinking bottles of Provencal rose rather than piña coladas.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
But her star rose and that joyful, beautiful, rather guileless young woman trying to stay cool in a hot city summer lives forever.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Her stomach bulged beneath her I ❤ FLORIDA boatneck and her face was round and waxy-pale.—
Stephen King,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
-
The Apple engineers’ eyes bulged in astonishment.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Ballooned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballooned. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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