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.
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2
as in accelerates
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
Airbags are designed to inflate automatically on impact.
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Recent Examples of inflates
This pattern of extreme volatility is common in high-profile IPOs, where initial hype often inflates share values.
—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
It’s made of strong, tear-resistant nylon and inflates manually using about nine breaths.
—
Bestreviews,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
This spa inflates within minutes and heats quickly as well.
—
Bestreviews,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
The legislation further inflates ICE’s usual $10 billion annual budget.
—
Chad De Guzman,
Time,
10 June 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
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
It’s made of strong, tear-resistant nylon and inflates manually using about nine breaths.
—
Bestreviews,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
This spa inflates within minutes and heats quickly as well.
—
Bestreviews,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
The legislation further inflates ICE’s usual $10 billion annual budget.
—
Chad De Guzman,
Time,
10 June 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflates
Verb
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That increases borrowing costs across the wider economy, including people’s mortgage rates.
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People taking diuretics, beta-blockers or any transdermal medication patches should check with a doctor first since heat significantly increases drug absorption through the skin.
Verb
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Discovery process accelerates For decades, scientists have relied largely on trial and error to discover superconducting materials.
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Problem-solving accelerates because feedback is immediate, silos begin to break down and team members feel empowered to contribute.
Verb
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The extreme heat has been supercharged by global warming, driven by humans burning fossil fuels, which raises the background temperature, making every heat wave more intense.
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Before Crowley was ousted, the city’s top financial analyst pushed back on her budget-cutting narrative, saying that spending on the Fire Department actually went up during that budget year — in large part because of a package of firefighter raises.
Verb
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Usage spikes can happen suddenly, experimentation expands rapidly across teams and model selection decisions may be driven more by hype than operational efficiency.
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The brand also expands its reach through digital tools, virtual consultants and ongoing training to maintain its product accessibility and integrity.
Verb
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And when a bond is dumped, its yield — or the interest the government must pay new investors in those same bonds — rises.
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Black smoke rises from the area of the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft's Moscow oil refinery on the south-eastern outskirts of Moscow on June 18, 2026.
Verb
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Most people only hear about it when a lymph node swells during a cold, or when a social media video promises a gua sha stone will detox their face.
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And if out-of-towners are visiting, the ranks of the older timers swells a few more.
Cite this Entry
“Inflates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflates. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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