distending

verb

present participle of distend
as in swelling
to make or become larger especially because of pressure from inside The illness can cause the stomach to distend.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for distending
  1. swelling
  2. expanding
  3. increasing
Verb
  • The swelling majorities, with some races still too early to call, underlined a deep sense of voter anger and concern over the economy and the state of democracy.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The sophomore missed his fourth consecutive game with a right knee injury after suffering a setback during last Wednesday’s practice caused swelling and led trainers to drain fluid from the joint.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of swelling
Verb
  • Those options reportedly include tighter economic sanctions and expanding restrictions on Iranian trade.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
  • At a hearing last week, as Assembly committee discussed measures including eliminating the $750 million cap, allowing above-the-line expenses, expanding eligibility, and extending the sunset date.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of expanding
Verb
  • Moon’s priorities for another term included expanding students’ access to mental health services, improving teacher recruitment and retention, and increasing career technical education opportunities.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Figma is increasing its focus on cybersecurity, said Dylan Field, Figma's co-founder and CEO.
    — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of increasing
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.

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distending
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Cite this Entry

“Distending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distending. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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