as in dilating
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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
Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2026
The state again faces a deep budget deficit as ballooning Medicaid costs eat up an ever-growing share of state spending.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ballooning
Noun
To help cover that cost, most students borrow to pay for college, which has led to ballooning student loan balances.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2026
The state again faces a deep budget deficit as ballooning Medicaid costs eat up an ever-growing share of state spending.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
Finally, when simply ballooning coaching contracts was no longer enough, the deals also had to be guaranteed, lest another school poach your leader.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ballooning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballooning
Noun
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Plenty of places around Arizona are popular among spectators eager to see the Falcon 9 soaring overheard.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
30 Nov. 2025
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Taylor Swift's date night necklace sent this small business soaring.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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His administration is facing increasing scrutiny after immigration officers killed two American citizens in Minneapolis this month.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
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Powerful onshore winds are forecast to coincide with some of the highest tides of the month, increasing the risk of moderate to locally significant coastal flooding, particularly during high tide cycles late Saturday into Sunday.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Indiana Department of Environmental Management inspected it and found a pipe protruding from a berm, leaking water where it’s not supposed to go.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Jan. 2026
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They’re typically installed above kitchen sinks and provide more light than standard windows, but their protruding design adds weight and insulation considerations.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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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Cancellations are likely to continue rising as the snow and ice storm spreads across the nation.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
25 Jan. 2026
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Last year marked a strong one for stock returns, despite a macroeconomic backdrop largely characterized by rising volatility amid escalating global tensions and a Federal Reserve rate cutting cycle.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tanner Jeannot created a turnover in the Vegas zone, poking it free from defenseman Ben Hutton, and Sean Kuraly pounced on the loose puck.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
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The show could still include a government subplot, maybe some shadowy investigators poking their noses around, but as it was written, the military was just unforgivably lame.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 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 30 Jan. 2026.
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