inflate

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb inflate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of inflate are amplify, dilate, distend, expand, and swell. While all these words mean "to increase in size or volume," inflate implies expanding by introduction of air or something insubstantial and suggests a vulnerability to sudden collapse.

an inflated ego

When is amplify a more appropriate choice than inflate?

While in some cases nearly identical to inflate, amplify implies the extension or enlargement of something inadequate.

amplify the statement with details

When is it sensible to use dilate instead of inflate?

The meanings of dilate and inflate largely overlap; however, dilate applies especially to expansion of circumference.

dilated pupils

Where would distend be a reasonable alternative to inflate?

Although the words distend and inflate have much in common, distend implies outward extension caused by pressure from within.

a distended abdomen

When might expand be a better fit than inflate?

The synonyms expand and inflate are sometimes interchangeable, but expand may apply regardless of the manner of increase (such as growth, unfolding, addition of parts).

a business that expands every year

When could swell be used to replace inflate?

The words swell and inflate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, swell implies gradual expansion beyond a thing's original or normal limits.

the bureaucracy swelled to unmanageable proportions

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of inflate In cities that function as growth machines, where economic growth is prized above all else, the needs of the poor and middle class are eclipsed by the desire to inflate the value of land. Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2025 Responding to student complaints, professors have been slashing homework assignments, routinely extending deadlines and (most prominently) inflating grades. Editorial, Boston Herald, 9 Sep. 2025 The singer would enter the ball — or, more accurately, it was inflated around him — and rock it a bit about the stage. Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2025 Experts warn that countries in a conflict will inflate their enemy's losses. Ellie Cook — Reporting From Prague, Czech Republic, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inflate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflate
Verb
  • Start with once daily, and if your skin can handle it, gradually increase to two or three times per week.
    Lily Wohlner, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • When a La Niña phase occurs, less wind shear occurs in the regions of the Atlantic basin where tropical weather develops, increasing the potential for more storms, AccuWeather said.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Department of War created a new task force in August to accelerate counter-drone development.
    Joseph Nepomuceno, The Washington Examiner, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The nanophotonic device could accelerate advances in communications, precision measurement, and even environmental monitoring.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Among them were countless era-defining releases that are still among the best movies ever made—of any genre—from the haunting Rebecca to the gripping Rear Window, and the ravishing Vertigo to the hair-raising Psycho.
    Radhika Seth, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2025
  • There were times when raising kids, building careers, and paying bills felt overwhelming.
    Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Unrivaled Experiences Growth Spurt Unrivaled will expand ahead of its second season with the addition of two new clubs and a development player pool, the league announced Wednesday.
    Roberta F. Rodrigues, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The panel issued over 100 recommendations, from limiting cash bail for misdemeanors to expanding racial equity training for prosecutors.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Colorado River and the two reservoirs have been suffering because of a multidecade drought in the West intensified by climate change, rising demand and overuse.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Stellarium Venus Begins To Fade September sees Venus rise closer to sunrise.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • On Tuesday, the protests ballooned as people of all ages defied curfews and came out into the streets to protest the government’s bloody crackdown.
    Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Friar also called attention to compute constraints caused by ballooning AI demands, which have led the company to go beyond its partnership with Microsoft and reach deals with Oracle, Coreweave and others.
    Samantha Subin, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That swell at Mavericks, a half mile off the coast of Half Moon Bay, hit two days before Christmas, on the same day and amid the same storm that destroyed the Santa Cruz Wharf.
    Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
  • As guests swelled outside the dining room, Chow and Osbourne led the lively room in a toast to New York and invitation to continue on to the comedy show.
    Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The effect is to both collapse and distend time until all the souls in the book, most of them nameless anyway, exist at the same time, in the same place, forever.
    Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2025
  • The pup’s abdomen was firm and distended.
    Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Inflate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflate. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on inflate

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