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
  • Symptoms of a Vibrio wound infection can include fever, skin discoloration, drainage or discharge, or pain and swelling around the wound.
    — Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • David Ryder | Reuters Homeowners insurance costs are swelling rapidly for consumers — and even for those able to pay, policies are getting harder to keep as insurers drop customers at a higher rate, according to a new industry report.
    — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of swelling
Verb
  • The more than five-month-old conflict, which was already expanding beyond its main fronts, has embroiled further countries in the Middle East in recent days, notably the likes of Iraq and Egypt.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The 13th hotel in their rapidly expanding brand manages to remain individual in feel and fills a niche that the founders noticed was missing in Warsaw—a lifestyle brand.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of expanding
Verb
  • The latest revelations about Welch come as the speaker on Wednesday made the rounds of several media outlets in an effort to shore up support for his leadership amid increasing scrutiny.
    — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Medina Diaz ran on increasing public education funding, strengthening the school system, improving aging infrastructure and raising the state minimum wage to $16.
    — Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 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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Cite this Entry

“Distending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distending. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on distending

Nglish: Translation of distending for Spanish Speakers

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