1
as in to increase
to make greater in size, amount, or number
Check that you have inflated your tires to the recommended pressure. Some sellers were inflating their prices by as much as 500 per cent.
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2
as in to accelerate
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
Airbags are designed to inflate automatically on impact.
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of inflate
Insurance companies counter that authorizations are a vital tool to prevent unnecessary tests and medical care that inflates medical bills for families.
—
Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 24 June 2025
By tearing down the regulatory barriers that inflate prices, Trump can deliver the economic relief families need, no matter what’s happening with his trade talks.
—Andrew Langer, Boston Herald, 21 June 2025
An institution need only inflate grades or print diplomas.
—Michael B. Horn, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
El Cajon officials argued that the newest number was inflated, in part due to the inclusion of streets and sidewalks past municipal boundaries.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflate
Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 24 June 2025
By tearing down the regulatory barriers that inflate prices, Trump can deliver the economic relief families need, no matter what’s happening with his trade talks.
—Andrew Langer, Boston Herald, 21 June 2025
An institution need only inflate grades or print diplomas.
—Michael B. Horn, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
El Cajon officials argued that the newest number was inflated, in part due to the inclusion of streets and sidewalks past municipal boundaries.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflate
Verb
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Provider taxes States can boost federal Medicaid contributions to their states through what's known as a provider tax, often levying taxes on health care providers, which raises the overall cost of a service and therefore increases the portion reimbursed by the state.—
July 1,
CBS News,
1 July 2025
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In recent weeks, the Trump administration has arrested an increasing number of migrants with no criminal convictions, according to an ABC News analysis of Immigration and Customs Enforcement data.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Putting oneself in those situations that challenge conversational comfort zones and embracing discomfort, tension and unresolved conflicts accelerates growth significantly.—
Chris Schembra,
Rolling Stone,
26 June 2025
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Throughout the 1960s, New York City’s financial sector boomed, yet simultaneously, poverty rates soared, deindustrialization accelerated, and housing costs skyrocketed.—
Daniel Wortel-London,
New York Daily News,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Business leaders must raise their voices—not just for equity, but for the sustainability and competitiveness of their own industries.—
Leadership Brainery,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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The statistics seem to suggest that some students and workers are growing dependent on free AI tools—a usage pattern that might become lucrative if AI companies were to begin restricting access or raising prices.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Romanticize your sleep with Tekla’s dainty bedding Since launching in 2017, Tekla has expanded from bedding into sleepwear, bathroom sets, and more.—
Stephanie Sporn,
Vogue,
1 July 2025
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Weeks later, the BBC expanded Frediani’s empire to include News at One.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Mason West is a 6-foot-6, 220-pound rising senior at Edina (Minn.) High School.—
Phil Thompson,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
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That, however, may be a blessing in disguise that allows Fatu to rise up the ranks on SmackDown even quicker than expected.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Verb
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As pension debt ballooned along with the proportion of the city’s budget (slowly) dedicated to funding pension systems and as property taxes rose, observers began taking more notice.—
Jennifer Hochschild,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
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The drop highlights the enormous progress made by Citizens in scaling back its presence in the Florida property insurance market after its size ballooned over the past few years due to several private insurers going bust, leaving the state or reducing coverage in high-risk regions.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 June 2025
Verb
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After the game, there seemed to be bruising and swelling around it.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
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The common symptoms include swelling of lymph nodes, fever, tiredness, night sweats, weight loss, and itchy skin.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
Verb
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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
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Isaiah was also malnourished and dehydrated at the time of his death, with his small and large intestines markedly distended.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Inflate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflate. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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