1
as in increasing
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
the number of students who stay home sick balloons every winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dilating
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in soaring
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of ballooning
Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
In 2014, Natarajan and Tal Alexander of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel described a scenario where one star in an especially starry region collapses into a large black hole that then zooms around like Pac-Man, hoovering up gas and ballooning to a huge size.
—Quanta Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
Samantha Subin, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
Rising mortgage rates have further burdened buyers, with monthly payments ballooning beyond reach for many.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballooning
Adjective
What happened in California and Florida over the past couple of years, with the states' insurers of last resort ballooning in size as a result of carriers dropping coverage, showed that these programs are not ready to fill the void left by the private sector.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
In 2014, Natarajan and Tal Alexander of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel described a scenario where one star in an especially starry region collapses into a large black hole that then zooms around like Pac-Man, hoovering up gas and ballooning to a huge size.
—Quanta Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
Friar also called attention to compute constraints caused by ballooning AI demands, which have led the company to go beyond its partnership with Microsoft and reach deals with Oracle, Coreweave and others.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
Rising mortgage rates have further burdened buyers, with monthly payments ballooning beyond reach for many.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballooning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballooning
Verb
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The government can raise revenues by increasing the payroll tax that funds Social Security or the income threshold to continue paying the tax or raise the full retirement age.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
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People would be wise to consider the ever-increasing cost of homes in the area before selling their property due to immigration enforcement fears, Gonzalez said.—
Juan Cordoba,
Arkansas Online,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Deputy Thomas Zajac, first on the scene, found Heskett kneeling in the grass near the park’s Old Mill Trail, grasping a pocketknife protruding from his abdomen.—
Andi Babineau,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
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Keta’s long layers fell on the sides of her face, while the back was noticeably teased and twisted with spiky pieces protruding out.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Last week, Oracle surprised Wall Street with a massive $300 billion deal with OpenAI, a five-year deal that helped send Oracle’s stock soaring—and brought simmering fears of an ‘AI bubble’ back to the surface.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
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Investors lapped it up, sending the stock soaring.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Fatal dog attacks, though rare in the United States, have been sharply rising in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
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Joel Quenneville taking over a rising team loaded with exciting young players and leading them to the playoffs?—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The first meetup drew dozens of participants poking at pudding cups together.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
3 Oct. 2025
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The underground pop of the 2010s used to get so excited about being online, using shrinky-dink artifice to delight in poking fun at a culture that could feel shallow and strange but also organic and endlessly renewable.—
Anna Gaca,
Pitchfork,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The photo clearly shows the feline's dilated pupils and ears backward, which is exactly what cats look like when mad.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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Meanwhile, Angelo’s crooked corset, Joan’s shredded gown, and team leader Ethan’s bizarre jumpsuit — which reminds Law of a dilated cervix — end up on the bottom.—
Claire Franken,
TVLine,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The team showed that this gliding persists down to –15 degree Celsius, setting a new benchmark for cellular motility in complex, nucleus-bearing organisms.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
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Five-foot-10 and 170 pounds in his prime, Rondell was known for his daring diving, gymnastic and hang-gliding skills.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Strays arrived at the Fox with a swelling profile driven by relentless road work and a fan base that spans country, rock and Americana.—
Brian McCollum,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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Check for firm tubers and swelling eyes in the dahlias.—
Erica Browne Grivas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ballooning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballooning. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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