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
Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 27 Mar. 2026
In Los Angeles and Minneapolis, the immigration enforcement surge resulted in ballooning overtime costs for local police.
—Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
The state has been consistently strapped for cash over the past two years, driven in particular by ballooning Medicaid costs.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ballooning
Noun
The three of us spent well over an hour grilling five of the nine Republican candidates for governor with tough questions focused on Maryland’s biggest issues — from the ballooning budget deficit to content guidelines in schools.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 27 Mar. 2026
In Los Angeles and Minneapolis, the immigration enforcement surge resulted in ballooning overtime costs for local police.
—Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
The second of those, still ballooning in South Carolina, is over 875 cases and counting.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
The state has been consistently strapped for cash over the past two years, driven in particular by ballooning Medicaid costs.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ballooning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballooning
Noun
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Trading in the meme coin shot up on Wednesday as the hoax went viral, sending its price soaring.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Airspace closures across the Gulf region from late February, triggered by military strikes on Iran, forced carriers to reroute Europe-Asia flights around the conflict zone, adding hours to journey times and sending airfares soaring.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The film is set in a mountain village where an elderly woman named Hettie (Hettie Farmer) lives alone on a small farm, tending her flock of goats with increasing difficulty.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
New York City Councilwoman Farah Louis is under increasing scrutiny amid a federal public corruption investigation involving the state’s homeless shelters for migrants.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the bathroom, a chemical meant to make trace blood more visible reacted in the sink and the bathtub, while a visible bloodstain was found under the protruding edge of a vanity, Hooks said.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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In the video, large swaths of brown earth can be seen protruding patches of mountain snow.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
20 Mar. 2026
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
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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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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
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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
Verb
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On his goal, Thomas swooped into the middle lane to dust McTavish and receive a slick feed from Broberg that sent him toward a vulnerable Dostál with speed for a rising shot.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
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Will the retirement age keep rising?—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Upon the umpteenth retelling, Jules (Jeff Wilbusch)—who witnessed the gory death of Rachel’s mother (Victoria Pedretti) as a little boy and therefore wholeheartedly believes in the curse—begins poking holes in the story.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
2 Apr. 2026
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While the 1930s and 1940s did see some instances of carnival poking fun at the tyranny of the Nazi regime (none of which, it should be noted, went unpunished), Birdsall and other scholars maintain that the festival was, first and foremost, an avenue for propaganda.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 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
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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 5 Apr. 2026.
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