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

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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

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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 The national debt surpassed a record $40 trillion on Wednesday, a staggering milestone as defense costs, social programs like Social Security and Medicare and interest on the burgeoning deficit make up an enormous share of federal spending. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026 There are several different development pathways a startup can take, from venture funding to partnerships to joining incubators and accelerators, which formed as a way to provide resources and support to burgeoning companies apart from capital. — Charlotte Hu, Time, 18 Aug. 2026 While closure of the strait has led to severe economic consequences, there is also a burgeoning ecological crisis. — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 17 Aug. 2026 With the belated realization that the Chinese had indeed overtaken them in the burgeoning electric-vehicle business, the world’s other car-makers descended into doom and gloom. — Jamie Kitman, Air Mail, 15 Aug. 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
  • Traffic through the strait is beginning to increase, but remains sharply depressed.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Boston increased its lead to 6-4 in the sixth on an RBI triple from Abreu when right fielder Jung Hoo Lee misplayed a line drive.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • From the late 1800s, a prominent Sicilian family controlled the tuna industry here with multiple factories and fisheries, thriving until the 1960s.
    — Megan Rose Murray, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • These factors weaken them, since such storms get their energy from warm ocean waters and tend to thrive when the upper-level winds surrounding them are relatively weak.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of thrive
Verb
  • When bulbs start growing and blooming in spring or summer, water them only when the soil feels dry to the touch and rainfall is scarce.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The American public distrusts its legal institutions and media outlets, creating a vacuum in which wild conjecture can bloom.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of bloom
Verb
  • Analysts note that following SpaceX's record-breaking IPO last month, investor interest in commercial spaceflight and the broader space sector has risen steadily.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Alphabet’s stock is down more than 15% from its May peak, wiping out roughly $700 billion in value, as concerns rise over its mounting AI bills and failure to produce a decisive technological breakthrough.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • And that a just society is one … in which people’s equal potential for flourishing and happiness is able to find expression.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Yet, on TikTok, on Threads, and, presumably, in innumerable group texts, a contrarian consensus has flourished.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of flourish
Verb
  • During winter, spring-flowering bulbs should remain in a state of dormancy in cold areas and need minimal care.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Plants have to be mature and about ready to flower when the central leaves turn varying shades of red.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of flower
Verb
  • Satellite imagery showed the scale of the flooding, with the basin of the Trishuli River dramatically swelled by mud.
    — Matteo Moschella, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026
  • During the seven years that it was occupied by British forces, Manhattan had been ravaged by fires, picked over by looters, covered in fortifications, and swollen with refugees.
    — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • That’s not to say, however, that the event hasn’t also blossomed into a significant commercial operation.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Ja’Quan McMillian, last year’s playoff hero against the Bills, has blossomed into one of the league’s top nickels.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of blossom

Browse Nearby Words

burgees
burgeon
burgeoned
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Cite this Entry

“Burgeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burgeon. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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