1
as in increasing
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 accelerating
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
Airbags are designed to inflate automatically on impact.
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Recent Examples of inflating
The process comes down to connecting six aluminum frame sections, inflating the hull with a manual or electric pump, attaching the rudder and centerboard, and rigging the sail.
—
Omar Kardoudi
march 13, New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2026
Parents can steer their children toward the former by focusing on realistic praise of their effort and attitude — rather than inflating their egos with an exaggerated focus on their achievements, some psychologists say.
—Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 13 Mar. 2026
The association further claims the developers engaged in bad faith actions, including inflating operating expense projections by 300-400%, using costly municipal water instead of canal water, installing substandard materials, and failing to maintain access trails.
—Awilda Esteras, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
AllHere’s founder was arrested and accused of defrauding investors of nearly $10 million by inflating her company’s revenue and customer numbers.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Particularly important are removing the regulations inflating refining costs in the state and overly restricting gas supply options.
—Wayne Winegarden, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
But the cozy nature of these transactions — with suppliers and customers sometimes taking financial stakes in one another — has drawn criticism about circular deals potentially inflating demand.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
Still, critics caution that the collaboration between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank could form a cartel that stifles innovation while inflating costs.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Releasing skis is potentially more dangerous than inflating an air bag.
—CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Omar Kardoudi
march 13, New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2026
Parents can steer their children toward the former by focusing on realistic praise of their effort and attitude — rather than inflating their egos with an exaggerated focus on their achievements, some psychologists say.
—Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 13 Mar. 2026
The association further claims the developers engaged in bad faith actions, including inflating operating expense projections by 300-400%, using costly municipal water instead of canal water, installing substandard materials, and failing to maintain access trails.
—Awilda Esteras, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
AllHere’s founder was arrested and accused of defrauding investors of nearly $10 million by inflating her company’s revenue and customer numbers.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Particularly important are removing the regulations inflating refining costs in the state and overly restricting gas supply options.
—Wayne Winegarden, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
But the cozy nature of these transactions — with suppliers and customers sometimes taking financial stakes in one another — has drawn criticism about circular deals potentially inflating demand.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
Still, critics caution that the collaboration between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank could form a cartel that stifles innovation while inflating costs.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Releasing skis is potentially more dangerous than inflating an air bag.
—CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflating
Verb
-
One of the biggest concerns for consumers is that an increasing number of data centers could hit them financially.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Among those saying the deal doesn’t go far enough are Ticketmaster competitors who have had to offer increasing protections for venues that chose them over Live Nation.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This backlog underscores Patel’s assertion about the accelerating threat.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
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The idea is to use those models to identify patterns across genes and ecosystems that would be difficult for humans to detect—potentially accelerating discoveries in areas like drug development.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Rochester Township Council held its regular meeting on Thursday evening, and it was packed with people who were raising concerns about chemical odors lingering in their neighborhood.—
Jessica Riley,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Federal officers have used administrative warrants to do so, raising concerns that constitutional protections are being skirted.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In practice, that means the Commission is wary of big mergers, unless they are paired with social taxes — protecting jobs, expanding network coverage in poorer areas and ensuring the Black majority benefits.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
20 Mar. 2026
-
OpenAI has spent the last few years expanding its tools into standalone products.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Experts say travelers planning summer trips may be able to limit the impact of rising airfares by booking earlier rather than waiting for last-minute deals.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Footage in the aftermath of the strike shows flames and smoke rising from the top of the building, though no injuries were reported.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Decongestants minimize swelling in your respiratory tract and may clear stuffy noses.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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Scaling up production When cast into thin films, these components self-organize into a dense structure that resists swelling with water vapor.—
J. Carson Meredith,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And it's been successful at keeping costs a little more predictable and not ballooning things out of control.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Meanwhile, the checks are ballooning to steakhouse-level sums.—
Robert F. Moss,
Southern Living,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In some ways, the Mets are jumping off the deep end in hiring Willard.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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Manz claimed in court documents his smart watch recorded his heart rate jumping from 80 beats per minute to 95 per minute after eating the tacos with hot and spicy salsa.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflating. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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