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
Emma Flint, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2025
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
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
Adjective
The distended episodes were littered with what feels like filler, little of which offered much in the way of narrative value.
—Emma Flint, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2025
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
Verb
In the last 20 days, their belly will appear distended, and their nipples and breast tissue will be noticeably swollen.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distended
Adjective
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This $15 option from Basic Concepts attaches to your tray table, creating a swinging hammock that provides relief for tired, swollen feet.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Jan. 2026
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Or noticing that your hands feel inexplicably stiff and swollen, making simple tasks like opening a jar or even typing feel unusually difficult.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As the population swelled, the Uji was joined with the Yodo and Katsura Rivers to create a network of canals for the transport of goods, expanding the shogun’s economic reach and power.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Jan. 2026
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Student enrollment at Epic had swelled to 60,000 students in 2020-21, the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, and the school employed more than 1,600 teachers that year.—
Jennifer Palmer,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Pacers expanded their lead to as large as 25 points in the second quarter before the Heat finally started to push back.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
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In 2025, the Navy expanded its training programs for future E-6B pilots, with courses now held in Oklahoma, where the majority of the aircraft are based and operated.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Wolverines increased their lead to 42 with less than a minute left in the fourth.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
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And while famine has not yet emerged, food insecurity has increased, with most Cubans eating a limited diet and skipping meals.—
Joseph J. Gonzalez,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The balloon is inflated to about 160 cc or more, gently spreading the tissue without cutting.—
Essence,
Essence,
7 Jan. 2026
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And no, that’s not scaffolding law, which the city recently reformed, but an arcane state labor law that has exponentially inflated the cost of construction beyond reason for decades.—
Elizabeth Crowley,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So Great After baking with the heavy cream, the cinnamon rolls become extra enlarged, moist, and gooey.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
29 Dec. 2025
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Pininfarina has also enlarged the side air intakes, visually emphasizing the rear fenders.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distended. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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