burgeon

verb

ˈbər-jən How to pronounce burgeon (audio)
variants also bourgeon
Definition of burgeonnext
1
as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the trout population in the stream is burgeoning now that the water is clean

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to thrive
to grow vigorously the spring flowers burgeoned once the warm weather set in for good

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to bloom
to produce flowers chrysanthemums usually burgeon in early fall

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 burgeon China is considering export controls that could check the global spread of its AI models and chips, as Beijing increases oversight of its burgeoning tech sector. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 18 Oct. 2026 Robert Stephenson’s burgeoning locomotive system was the perfect early adopter of this revolutionary communications network. — Mike McRae 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026 His return to Los Angeles is yet another form of escape, this time from a burgeoning career in Chicago and a romantic relationship with a woman named Carol (Olivia Wilde). — Alessia Amorosini, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026 The company made use of burgeoning microneedle patch technology, placing the microneedles in select designs like stars and hearts on the patch, and embedding pigments in the miniscule needles. — Avery Stone, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for burgeon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burgeon
  1. increase
  2. thrive
  3. bloom
  4. rise
  5. flourish
  6. flower
  7. swell
  8. blossom
Verb
  • Kim Hong-Cheol, the South Korean military official, said leaving the dispute over the military demarcation line unresolved would increase the risk of accidental clashes because troops from both sides act on their own understanding of the line.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As rain chances increase overnight, the temperature will drop to 40 degrees.
    — Hali Smith October 23, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • Changes that help one employee thrive, such as clearer expectations, better training or more consistent communication, often make the workplace more effective for everyone.
    — John Gill, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Despite the declining participation numbers, some Massachusetts programs are thriving.
    — Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of thrive
Verb
  • At that moment, the blooming onion arrived along with another Glenlivet.
    — Larry Padgett, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • There yet remain some open spaces where both at once can bloom.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of bloom
Verb
  • A couple of sections in the shade, on the home sideline, rose a bit more than 3%.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But then shipping disruptions, rising fuel costs, and steep international tariffs made exporting increasingly difficult, prompting Yu to turn her attention to building a domestic market.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • Spring was coming fast and everything was beginning to flourish.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Perennials that are flourishing in your garden can remain tall.
    — Macie Stump, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of flourish
Verb
  • The designs feature symbols familiar to Marylanders and racing fans, including the state's iconic flag, Pimlico's weathervane and cupola, and the black-eyed Susan flower.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • As for the blooming, poinsettias’ growing tips produce a flowering hormone that is destroyed by light.
    — Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of flower
Verb
  • Engineers trying to support swelling AI workloads, video streaming, and cloud services often add thicker cables with more fiber pairs.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Hedge fund assets swell With gross assets now standing at about $13 trillion, hedge funds have become an increasingly important part of the global investor landscape, the IMF said on Tuesday.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • Many celebrity couples started their connections as friends before anything romantic blossomed between them.
    — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But as the city blossomed — its population is now nearly 270,000 — the political culture remained fairly static.
    — Justin Papp, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of blossom

Browse Nearby Words

burgees
burgeon
burgeoned
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Burgeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burgeon. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of emissary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All