as in swollen
enlarged beyond normal from internal pressure
bees with abdomens distended with honey are less apt to sting
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in swelled
to make or become larger especially because of pressure from inside
The illness can cause the stomach to distend.
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of distended
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
Following too much pasta or one too many sweet treats, my stomach gets quite sensitive—resulting in a feeling of tightness and a distended, rumbling tummy.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 20 May 2025
Bloating causes your belly to feel full and look distended.
—Kathleen Felton, Health, 9 June 2024
But for all its brawn and atmosphere and robustly choreographed combat, this is a distended historical tapestry too sprawling to remain compelling, particularly when its focus veers away from the central couple.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Adjective
Once per act, a second duo crashes in on Didi and Gogo, providing the tramps’ power balance with a lurid, distended foil.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
Following too much pasta or one too many sweet treats, my stomach gets quite sensitive—resulting in a feeling of tightness and a distended, rumbling tummy.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 20 May 2025
Bloating causes your belly to feel full and look distended.
—Kathleen Felton, Health, 9 June 2024
But for all its brawn and atmosphere and robustly choreographed combat, this is a distended historical tapestry too sprawling to remain compelling, particularly when its focus veers away from the central couple.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distended
Adjective
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The stretchy upper was able to accommodate her swollen feet throughout the day without causing any major pain.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
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My throat was scorched, my tongue was swollen — and the acid would not stop coming.—
Jack Korngold,
Rolling Stone,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The protests then swelled to wider calls to stamp out corruption, repression and rising crime under President Dina Boluarte’s rule.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
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By the time the five members of Tomorrow X Together (TXT for short) appear, not from the stage but through the pit doors, weaving past the barricades and into the sea of fans, the noise has swelled to seismic levels.—
Crystal Bell,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Two years later, President Biden expanded the protections so more Venezuelans who had arrived in recent years could benefit.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
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What started as a walking tour of the historic Chickasaw neighborhood in 2012, during his years as president of the local neighborhood association, has since expanded to cover the other nine neighborhoods, after Taylor was awarded a fellowship through the Filson Historical Society in 2023.—
Keely Doll,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In April, the Legislature approved a bill that increased per-student funding for public schools from $7,771 to $8,162.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Oct. 2025
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Their answers varied greatly, but one area of consensus is that the plan has pulled more state agencies and rural regions into the conversation, which has increased overall awareness of the problem.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The pact is reportedly worth up to $150 million, although that pricetag has shocked industry observers as undoubtedly inflated by the desire of Paramount to bring Weiss, a former opinion writer for the New York Times, into the fold.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
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Was his fee inflated like Woltemade’s?—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Adama enlarged the infrared feed from an overhead surveillance drone, revealing a pair of Jet Skis racing across the Dnieper from the Russian side.—
Ken Harbaugh,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
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Traditional prints are being enlarged to create bold, graphic statements and a gallery-like presence.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distended. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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