as in exaggerated
extended beyond normal or realistic bounds
he's been walking around with an inflated ego every since he got the promotion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in increased
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in accelerated
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
Airbags are designed to inflate automatically on impact.
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inflated
Bailey Richards, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Years of delays and an inflated budget have damaged public and political faith in the project, but the past few years have seen progress—with construction happening throughout the state and tracklaying set to start later this year.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
The 80% of the population labeled as active was inflated by including people who engaged in a sport or activity as little as once a year.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflated
Adjective
The top overlay of her black, Christian Dior gown blew upward, and billowed, appearing inflated and bulbous for about a second, footage of the moment shared by Cinema Blend shows.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Years of delays and an inflated budget have damaged public and political faith in the project, but the past few years have seen progress—with construction happening throughout the state and tracklaying set to start later this year.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
Deeds were forged, taxes inflated, and court rulings weaponized against Black families.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
The 80% of the population labeled as active was inflated by including people who engaged in a sport or activity as little as once a year.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflated
Adjective
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The actress stepped out in New York City wearing a pair of retro-inspired, deep blue flare jeans with exaggerated bell hems.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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Wrangler Retro High-Rise Trumpet Flare Jeans For a more statement-making option, try these Wrangler jeans with an exaggerated trumpet flare.—
Clara McMahon,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For example, Doak kicked on so impressively at Middlesbrough in 2024-25 that his value increased to the point that Bournemouth paid £25m for him.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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The rate of lifetime depression among women has increased by over 40% in the last decade, yet periods like postpartum and perimenopause remain under-addressed in mainstream mental health care.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The independent brand picked up momentum in secondary channels in May, when turnover rose to 36 percent and accelerated further in June, peaking at 43 percent.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
8 Sep. 2025
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In addition, Borenstein has accelerated the brand’s progress toward its sustainability commitments, including climate-positive by 2025 and a new commitment to be fully circular by 2030.—
WWD Staff,
Footwear News,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Tesla's board has urged shareholders to vote against a proposal calling for a political neutrality policy, which would have expanded board oversight of Musk's political activities.—
Akash Sriram,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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In recent years, Chanel has expanded its support for cinema, which now encompasses everything from costume design to film restoration, in addition to initiatives geared at fostering the next generation of movie directors.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Retail media has ballooned into a $60 billion business, on track to capture one in five advertising dollars.—
Kiri Masters,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Demonstrators first took to the streets on Monday to push back against the country’s rising cost of living, and the protests have since ballooned and become violent after a police vehicle killed a 21-year-old motorcycle taxi driver at a rally on Thursday.—
Brendan Ruberry,
semafor.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Following the surgery, his body swelled dangerously, and his lungs collapsed, forcing doctors to place him on a ventilator.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
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The ranks have swelled to four teams with the addition of the Firefighters and Texas Tailgaters.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That increase was fueled largely by national revenue — television, licensing and sponsorship proceeds shared equally among the 32 franchises — which rose to an average of $433 million per team from $403 million the previous season, according to league executives.—
Michael Ozanian,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
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In the second quarter, sales rose 14 percent, compared with growth of 12 percent in the first quarter.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Huawei's market share in China jumped to 18% in the second quarter versus 15% in the same period last year, and the company is now the biggest smartphone vendor in China, Counterpoint Research data showed.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
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In July, listings for single-family homes jumped 28 percent year-over-year, to 11,800.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inflated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflated. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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