as in dilating
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Dissimilar Words
as in soaring
Related Words
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
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
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Recent Examples of ballooning
Shauna Farnell, Denver Post, 25 May 2026
Instead, those of us who are worried about this country’s debt path have a responsibility to help the American people understand the relationship between shortsighted fiscal policies and ballooning household costs.
—Jared Bernstein, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026
Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
The second of those, still ballooning in South Carolina, is over 875 cases and counting.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ballooning
Noun
The first official form of human flight, hot air ballooning emerged in France in 1783.
—Shauna Farnell, Denver Post, 25 May 2026
Instead, those of us who are worried about this country’s debt path have a responsibility to help the American people understand the relationship between shortsighted fiscal policies and ballooning household costs.
—Jared Bernstein, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026
Verb
Analysts have estimated that keeping the unit open for 90 additional days will cost the utilities at least $20 million, with costs ballooning to as much as $150 million if its life is extended one year.
—Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
The second of those, still ballooning in South Carolina, is over 875 cases and counting.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ballooning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballooning
Noun
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His expansive sonic palette includes soaring anthems, tender ballads, and hard-driving dance tracks with a focus on thumping bass and earworm melodies.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
26 May 2026
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After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, oil prices spiked, sending gasoline soaring.—
Vincent Kilbride,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Leading up to Election Day, the Democratic share of those later ballots, which often determine the outcome in California, was steadily increasing as liberal-leaning voters began to make their choice.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
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At that time, Musk accused the FTC of aggressively increasing the number of investigative demands.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Elsewhere on the trophy, there are the original rules to soccer, from 1863, which include a proscription on players having nails, iron plates, or gutta-percha—a Malaysian rubberlike material, now used in root canals—protruding from their boots.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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The cups also feature a more angular design, visibly protruding rather than gradually curving.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Noun
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As the tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic Coast, the state park is a hotspot for hang gliding, kite flying, and sunset watching.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
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This week, the moon will be visible gliding silently through the daytime sky from today (April 22), up until the next full moon phase on May 1.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The efforts highlight Son’s growing ambitions to secure data center bases in major locations across the globe as AI companies race to acquire sufficient computing power and meet rising demand for their services.—
Benoit Berthelot,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
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On the other hand, when prices are high and rising, voters may not particularly care about things like Talarico's meat consumption, says Cliff Walker, who works at a Texas progressive strategy firm.—
Danielle Kurtzleben,
NPR,
30 May 2026
Verb
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In partnership with Underdog, a popular daily fantasy sports (DFS) and pick'em betting platform, Brooks revealed a one-of-a-kind board game poking fun at SGA.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
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Plenty of skilled directors can manipulate tension and fear while still poking us toward nervous laughter.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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Whereas Vaslav’s unorthodox looks infatuated many people, hers (protuberant teeth and lips, stocky body, flat chest, powerful thighs) alienated many.—
Alastair Macaulay,
The New York Review of Books,
29 Dec. 2022
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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
Cite this Entry
“Ballooning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballooning. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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