1
as in inflated
extended beyond normal or realistic bounds
a bloated sense of his own importance
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in swollen
enlarged beyond normal from internal pressure
a bloated stomach
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bloated
Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
Former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown was hosting a roundtable featuring seven Ohioans sharing stories about the financial pain that bloated health-care costs had inflicted on their families, compelling them to scale back their medical care.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
There’s a lot to take in — probably too much, with the myriad subplots stretching the film to a bloated 140 minutes.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Politicians would like to believe that rising health-insurance costs result from bloated hospital budgets, physician overpayments, or administrative waste—problems that could be trimmed away painlessly.
—Chris Pope, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bloated
Adjective
Property owners and taxpayers should not have to pick up the tab for bloated payroll or inefficient systems.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
Former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown was hosting a roundtable featuring seven Ohioans sharing stories about the financial pain that bloated health-care costs had inflicted on their families, compelling them to scale back their medical care.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
There’s a lot to take in — probably too much, with the myriad subplots stretching the film to a bloated 140 minutes.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Politicians would like to believe that rising health-insurance costs result from bloated hospital budgets, physician overpayments, or administrative waste—problems that could be trimmed away painlessly.
—Chris Pope, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bloated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bloated
Adjective
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State officials are asking lawmakers to craft a bill that would allow the Department of Social Services to limit Medicaid payments for unionized nursing homes whose owners hire family members at inflated salaries.—
Jenna Carlesso,
Hartford Courant,
19 Feb. 2026
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Those inflated costs fall squarely on the shoulders of small businesses and working families through higher premiums and lower take-home pay.—
Bianca Blomquist,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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By December, her condition had worsened—a pain in her abdomen had emerged as well as more swollen lymph nodes—and she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer that affects a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
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Consuming turmeric can relieve swollen and painful joints for people with chronic conditions.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This year, holiday gatherings were scrapped, the single father’s Christmas budget was slashed in half, and his credit cards were glutted from months of futile efforts to keep up with the rising cost of living.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
31 Dec. 2025
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Yet the train of military vehicles that appeared was remarkably tame, a cavalcade of superannuated weapons platforms serving as a reminder of the degree to which the military-industrial complex, glutted with money and pampered by Congress, has run out of new ideas.—
Seth Harp,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The issue usually isn’t cortisol itself, but a rhythm that’s mistimed, exaggerated, or slow to settle.—
Rita Templeton,
Flow Space,
18 Feb. 2026
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An exaggerated period heel adds flair.—
Emma Fraser,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rehmet said he has been swamped with phone calls from Democrats wanting to replicate his success.—
Philip Jankowski,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
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Ever since Cile was swept away by the floodwaters that swamped Camp Mystic in the Texas Hill Country last summer, her mother has been coping with her grief by writing her daughter a letter every day.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Before the logging industry, before the oil and gas industry, before anyone built levees to contain the Mississippi River, the Delta naturally ebbed and flowed and flooded as the river deposited sediment on the Gulf Coast.—
Melina Walling,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Images and videos flooded social media of immigration law enforcement’s violent encounters with protesters, including shooting rubber bullets, spraying chemical agents at close range and smashing car windows.—
Daniella Silva,
NBC news,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Since Lisa Borowsky started as mayor in 2025, Scottsdale's city politics have been drenched in drama.—
Amanda Luberto,
AZCentral.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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The album ends with an eight-minute retelling of a Greek myth — Salmacis and Hermaphroditus — drenched in Mellotron and erotic pathos.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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By the time the rally started, a couple of hundred people crowded inside the small park, in front of where the monument’s large flag had been removed.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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More than 100 community members crowded the district’s meeting room, while at least 100 others were seated in overflow rooms and an additional 50 individuals stood outside the building doors, which district staff locked because the space was at maximum capacity.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bloated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bloated. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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