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
Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
The largest art piece on the playa was designed and constructed–inflated actually—by Ukraine.
—Dennis Hinkamp, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 23 Sep. 2025
By 1929, the Fed existed but bungled monetary policy, which further inflated the bubble.
—Steve Booren, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflated
Adjective
The inflated bill was criticized by a local fiscal watchdog organization.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
The largest art piece on the playa was designed and constructed–inflated actually—by Ukraine.
—Dennis Hinkamp, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
Not all sober house operators agree with her assessment of an industry that added hundreds of beds and services virtually overnight, inflated in recent years by easy access to federal funding, and is now in flux.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 23 Sep. 2025
By 1929, the Fed existed but bungled monetary policy, which further inflated the bubble.
—Steve Booren, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflated
Adjective
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Guadagnino encourages our doubts, shooting Maggie in exaggerated horror-movie closeups set to the doomy bass notes and shrieking winds of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
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But the question remains whether exaggerated fears are sufficient to trigger political violence.—
Ron Barrett,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In recent years the amount of screen time at school has increased as students and teachers transition to digital learning.—
Gili Malinsky,
CNBC,
8 Oct. 2025
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What To Know OpenMinds said that Russia had increased its contract military recruitment in 2025, with a 40 percent year-on-year increase in social media ads, especially on the social network VK, during the first half of 2025.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Artificial intelligence has accelerated demand, creating an urgent need for more efficient infrastructure.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
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At the same time, by driving down costs through scale, China has accelerated clean-tech uptake in countries from Pakistan to Brazil to Indonesia.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Two years later, President Biden expanded the protections so more Venezuelans who had arrived in recent years could benefit.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
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What started as a walking tour of the historic Chickasaw neighborhood in 2012, during his years as president of the local neighborhood association, has since expanded to cover the other nine neighborhoods, after Taylor was awarded a fellowship through the Filson Historical Society in 2023.—
Keely Doll,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As the pre-match warm-up came to an end, Elliot Anderson ballooned a shot into the stands in what should have been his final turn within a shooting exercise.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, Brazil’s market share of Chinese soybean imports have ballooned to 71% as of last year, according to the ASA.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The protests then swelled to wider calls to stamp out corruption, repression and rising crime under President Dina Boluarte’s rule.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
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By the time the five members of Tomorrow X Together (TXT for short) appear, not from the stage but through the pit doors, weaving past the barricades and into the sea of fans, the noise has swelled to seismic levels.—
Crystal Bell,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This set of seven makeup brushes comes in a leather case with a shiny rose gold finish.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
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When the sun rose on the 17th, it was revealed that the colonists—possibly out of a last-minute change of plans, possibly out of moonlit confusion—had built a rough defensive fort on the other hill, Breed’s Hill.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Those familiar with Disney’s pricing strategy said Disney World food prices have risen 18% in the last five years, even though nationwide, food costs have jumped about 30% during that time.—
Natasha Chen,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
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Wilder immediately jumped into the stands and apologised, before being sent off by the referee.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inflated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflated. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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