as in dilating
Related Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025
The president has also promised to use tariff revenue to pay down the ballooning national debt, currently worth about $38 trillion.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
But other challenges have cropped up, too, from dockworker strikes to ballooning construction costs.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballooning
Noun
The president also claimed the income could be used to slash the ballooning $38 trillion debt.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025
The president has also promised to use tariff revenue to pay down the ballooning national debt, currently worth about $38 trillion.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
Verb
And none of this money includes what other partner nations pay per year on upkeep of their modules and the care, feeding, and training of crews, ballooning the overall cost further.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
But other challenges have cropped up, too, from dockworker strikes to ballooning construction costs.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballooning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballooning
Noun
-
Plenty of places around Arizona are popular among spectators eager to see the Falcon 9 soaring overheard.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
30 Nov. 2025
-
Taylor Swift's date night necklace sent this small business soaring.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Still, mainstream Democrats and the Democratic Party seemed inclined to hitch their fates to many of the issues which currently define a politics of domination, like threatening Venezuela or increasing ICE funding, even though for the first time, more voters want to abolish ICE than to keep it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
-
But the increasing state support comes amid a dramatic overall decline.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Avoid areas of ice with protruding debris like logs or brush.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Most often, she was seen with protruding, sculptural hair, abstract eye shadow, and vibrant lip colors, all in line with her aesthetic at the Mugler 1986 show.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
26 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Greenwood was previously diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, but said that might not be a factor in what caused her heart attack last year, per the BBC.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Adam woke up at the hospital six days later and learned that he had been diagnosed with a heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy, which prevents the heart from pumping blood around the body effectively.—
Duarte Dias,
CBS News,
25 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Perfect for children’s bedrooms and play spaces, these favorably reviewed linen-blend curtains feature grommets for effortless gliding and breezy stripes in 27 colors that are equally kid- and grownup-friendly.—
Shoko Wanger,
Architectural Digest,
6 Oct. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
Black will join rising redshirt senior Devin McDonough and rising sophomore Luke Brown on the roster.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
-
In an increasingly hostile regulatory environment, with a cooling economy and rising costs across the board, Colorado’s small businesses need relief, not another squeeze.—
Ryan Gonzalez,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The former child actor dove into his speech by first poking fun at his Home Alone fame.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
-
In June 2021, Megan posted a birthday tribute to Stellan, poking fun at his lack of an Instagram account in the caption.—
Kelsey Lentz,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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 21 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
