1
as in increases
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
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in accelerates
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
Airbags are designed to inflate automatically on impact.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 inflates
The legislation further inflates ICE’s usual $10 billion annual budget.
—
Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 June 2026
Demonstrate How Credibility Lowers Customer Acquisition Cost Lack of credibility acts as a trust tax that inflates customer acquisition cost.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Prosecutors said fraudulent activity artificially inflates streams, reducing the amount paid to musicians and songwriters whose work is listened to by real audiences.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
In order to minimize rider impact with the handlebars or other hard surfaces, the airbag inflates upward during a forward crash.
—New Atlas, 24 Mar. 2026
Students that are assigned a teacher that inflates grades are more likely to score poorly on future tests.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Their croaking involves pushing air over vocal cords into a thin membrane known as a vocal sac that inflates under the chin.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
An avalanche airbag backpack that inflates after the skier pulls the trigger giving the person a chance to stay above or close to the surface during an avalanche.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
This practice artificially inflates prices and prevents everyday Texans from outbidding Wall Street.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 June 2026
Demonstrate How Credibility Lowers Customer Acquisition Cost Lack of credibility acts as a trust tax that inflates customer acquisition cost.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Prosecutors said fraudulent activity artificially inflates streams, reducing the amount paid to musicians and songwriters whose work is listened to by real audiences.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
In order to minimize rider impact with the handlebars or other hard surfaces, the airbag inflates upward during a forward crash.
—New Atlas, 24 Mar. 2026
Students that are assigned a teacher that inflates grades are more likely to score poorly on future tests.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Their croaking involves pushing air over vocal cords into a thin membrane known as a vocal sac that inflates under the chin.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
An avalanche airbag backpack that inflates after the skier pulls the trigger giving the person a chance to stay above or close to the surface during an avalanche.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
This practice artificially inflates prices and prevents everyday Texans from outbidding Wall Street.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflates
Verb
-
That ability moves towards leveling the playing field between businesses of different sizes, increases efficiency for all firms, and super charges competition to the benefit of consumers.—
Jessica Melugin,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
-
However, higher tick and pest activity during warmer weather increases your dog or cat’s risk of contact.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Be sure to stop by the inhalation salt chamber that accelerates skin cell rejuvenation, reduces stress, and promotes better sleep.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
-
AlphaFold considerably accelerates that process.—
Jessica Melugin,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Encumbered by antlers up to four feet tall and forty pounds in weight, a bull raises its immense jaws, antlers tilted toward his spine, and races through the woods until reaching safer ground.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
Bass has called for hiring more officers and defending her Inside Safe homelessness program, while Raman has criticized the cost of police raises, called for broader public-safety responses and argued that the city needs a more accountable and cost-effective homelessness system.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The gas in your stomach expands as the pressure drops, leaving you bloated.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
-
Broader sonobuoy push The Scottish trial arrives as Ultra Maritime expands its sonobuoy business through production contracts and international partnerships.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The arch spans 78 feet and rises 65 feet high, drawing hikers eager to experience one of the region’s most striking landmarks.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
On Tuesday, elevated surf conditions were reported in Laguna Beach, which can get swells up to 9 feet.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
-
Summer has already kicked off with beefy surf up and down the coastline, with moderate southern hemisphere swells bringing waves in the 3-to 5-foot range at many spots the past week.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflates. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
