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
In total, Alex was found to have embezzled more than $6 million from at least two dozen clients, inflating fees or expenses and diverting settlement money into his own accounts, per PBS.
—
Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
While James was successful in her lawsuit against Trump for over-inflating the value of his properties to gain favorable loans, an appeals court ruled that the fine of $350 million — which ballooned to over $500 million — was excessive and voided the fine.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
Given the role that Wall Street’s élite played in inflating and promoting the bubble, this is either a generous view or a jaded commentary on the fallen nature of mankind.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Trump was found to have provided misleading accounts to lenders, falsely inflating his net worth.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Unrolling and inflating takes less than two minutes.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2025
The Michigan House voted nearly unanimously in June to approve legislation aimed at cracking down on bots that purchase tickets in bulk, inflating demand and resale prices.
—Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
In the Gilded Age, inflating assets and understating liabilities was standard practice across a booming system.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
For decades, rival groups accused one another of inflating voter rolls by having relatives who lived outside the county travel there to vote on Election Day.
—Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
While James was successful in her lawsuit against Trump for over-inflating the value of his properties to gain favorable loans, an appeals court ruled that the fine of $350 million — which ballooned to over $500 million — was excessive and voided the fine.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
Given the role that Wall Street’s élite played in inflating and promoting the bubble, this is either a generous view or a jaded commentary on the fallen nature of mankind.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Trump was found to have provided misleading accounts to lenders, falsely inflating his net worth.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Unrolling and inflating takes less than two minutes.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2025
The Michigan House voted nearly unanimously in June to approve legislation aimed at cracking down on bots that purchase tickets in bulk, inflating demand and resale prices.
—Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
In the Gilded Age, inflating assets and understating liabilities was standard practice across a booming system.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
For decades, rival groups accused one another of inflating voter rolls by having relatives who lived outside the county travel there to vote on Election Day.
—Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflating
Verb
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The organization’s Green Heart Project, which studies the impact of better air quality on heart disease through urban greening, has found that increasing the number of trees and shrubs in an area can create lower levels of a blood marker associated with inflammation.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
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Coffee prices have been increasing sharply since the start of this year.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Meta and others are engaged in an accelerating AI arms race that has some economists and investors fretting about a possible bubble and seeking reassurance that revenue growth can sustain the massive spending required.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
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The findings could make solar tower technology more efficient and commercially viable, accelerating the shift toward cleaner energy.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Still, the project adds another exclusive tier to a venue already marked by VIP enclaves, raising questions about how much of COTA’s most distinctive real estate will remain truly accessible — and for how long.—
Patrick Iversen,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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The key to raising emotionally resilient kids is the ability to repair.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In 2025, Ohtani is likely to earn another MVP award, adding to his ever-expanding trophy cabinet.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Environmental advocates question the need for expanding fossil fuel resources a time when greenhouse gases from those fuels are worsening climate change.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But other challenges have cropped up, too, from dockworker strikes to ballooning construction costs.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
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Both Washington and Beijing on Tuesday began charging new tit-for-tat port fees on each other’s ships; the levies are part of a ballooning economic conflict between the countries that flared up last week, cooled slightly over the weekend, and ramped back up Tuesday.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Even before her election, tensions were rising between the two neighbors.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
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But as time went on, the family faced the challenges of everyday expenses and the rising cost of raising multiple children.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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She was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition and underwent emergency surgery, during which doctors removed part of her skull to relieve swelling.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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Daedone persuaded the swelling ranks of OM enthusiasts, givers and receivers alike, to join an experiment in communal living, gradually parting them from their wealth and autonomy.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That prompted Ullmark to leave his crease and toss away the blocker from his right hand before jumping into the scrum.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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Police say there have been a handful of incidents over the years involving people jumping into the ditch where the man was found, which is open at street level.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inflating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflating. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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