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
Verb
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Medics rushed him in critical condition to Brookdale University Hospital with bleeding and swelling on the brain, according to court papers.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026 -
In South Carolina, multiple people, including children, have been hospitalized with a form of brain swelling called encephalitis, which can lead to permanent intellectual disability or deafness, and in some cases turn fatal.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In his closing remarks at the congress, Kim doubled down on expanding the nation’s nuclear arsenal.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
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The company currently has 282 active customers and are expanding each day.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Throughout these years, Ma began to feel an increasing sense of remorse at his complicity in this system, which sparked deeper soul-searching around his identity as a Muslim, and what that meant within Chinese society.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
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Beef prices have been increasing since the beginning of the decade.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
27 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Distending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distending. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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