ballooning 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of ballooningnext
as in dilating

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Dissimilar Words

ballooning

2 of 3

noun

as in soaring

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ballooning

3 of 3

verb

present participle of balloon
1
as in increasing
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the number of students who stay home sick balloons every winter

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in protruding
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

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 ballooning
Noun
The accolades and ballooning crowds beget a prime slot at Coachella. — Marisa Fox, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026 The result was a nationwide strike of transportation workers and ballooning protests, a saga only halted when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 2026
Verb
The two candidates also are offering differing solutions for the country’s struggling health system, ballooning public debt and entrenched corruption. — Regina Garcia Cano, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026 The two candidates also are offering differing solutions for the country's struggling health system, ballooning public debt and entrenched corruption. — CBS News, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for ballooning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballooning
  1. dilated
  2. soaring
  3. increasing
  4. protruding
  5. protuberant
  6. gliding
  7. rising
  8. poking
Adjective
  • Mutations in genes encoding cardiac myosin, for instance, can lead to cardiomyopathies, including hypertrophic and dilated forms, which affect the ability of the heart to pump blood effectively.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Symptoms can include abdominal pain or discomfort, blurred or double vision, dilated pupils, dizziness, drooping eyelid, dry or sore throat, facial muscle paralysis, nausea or vomiting, swollen belly, and trouble swallowing and speaking.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of dilated
Noun
  • Days later, a feature on CBS Evening News sent interest soaring.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026
  • Here, a soaring, nearly 60-foot-long living room topped with a large oval gallery is surrounded by walls of glass overlooking the curving coastline.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 22 July 2026
Definition of soaring
Verb
  • Instead, pick three to five movements that match your fitness level and focus on performing each with good form before increasing the difficulty.
    — RikkiLynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 29 July 2026
  • Across much of the world, increasing longevity combined with decades of declining birth rates is fundamentally changing the composition of the labor force.
    — Sheila Callaham, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of increasing
Verb
  • At first, 17-year-old Khloe Aguiar didn’t want to climb the over 100-foot ladder protruding out of the fire truck.
    — Julianna Mejia July 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • With its extended, protruding proportions and structural overlays, the colorway also features a glow-in-the-dark treatment across its TPU cage.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 29 July 2026
Definition of protruding
Adjective
  • And the rear of the case is deeper to accommodate a protuberant rear camera—hinting that the next iPad will see a big camera upgrade.
    — David Phelan, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2022
  • His eyesight was failing and his eyes were bloodshot and protuberant.
    — Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books, 21 Sep. 2022
Definition of protuberant
Noun
  • Visitors especially enjoy paragliding and hang-gliding in the area, as well as canoeing and hiking all around the Valley.
    — Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 28 July 2026
  • And in 2022, Ristroph studied the surpassingly complex aerodynamics of what makes a good paper airplane—specifically what is needed for smooth gliding.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 July 2026
Definition of gliding
Verb
  • After the match, Brock Lesnar Oba Femi destroyed Brock Lesnar in their first encounter, which made an already rising Oba Femi into an overnight sensation.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Farmers facing restrictions on irrigating their crops are warning of smaller fruit harvests and rising prices this season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of rising
Verb
  • Instead, her dad looks under the table and sees a jumble of limbs with Chastain’s smiling face poking out at him.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 21 July 2026
  • This included one of their players poking a finger into the ear of the Belgian penalty-spot protector Diego Moreira, and responding to the reactionary elbow to the tummy by going down, and staying down, on top of the penalty mark.
    — Geir Jordet, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of poking

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ballooned
ballooning
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Cite this Entry

“Ballooning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballooning. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ballooning

Nglish: Translation of ballooning for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ballooning

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