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
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
In all, the facts should dash any worries of nefarious doctors inflating children with vast volumes of noxious concoctions.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Or the time he was found liable for fraudulently inflating the value of his real estate holdings?
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Responding to student complaints, professors have been slashing homework assignments, routinely extending deadlines and (most prominently) inflating grades.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
And perhaps worst of all, inflating every slight into oppression cheapens true injustice.
—Jonathan Alpert, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
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
In all, the facts should dash any worries of nefarious doctors inflating children with vast volumes of noxious concoctions.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Or the time he was found liable for fraudulently inflating the value of his real estate holdings?
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Responding to student complaints, professors have been slashing homework assignments, routinely extending deadlines and (most prominently) inflating grades.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
And perhaps worst of all, inflating every slight into oppression cheapens true injustice.
—Jonathan Alpert, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflating
Verb
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The government can raise revenues by increasing the payroll tax that funds Social Security or the income threshold to continue paying the tax or raise the full retirement age.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
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People would be wise to consider the ever-increasing cost of homes in the area before selling their property due to immigration enforcement fears, Gonzalez said.—
Juan Cordoba,
Arkansas Online,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To some, Aschenbrenner is a rare genius who saw the moment—the coming of humanlike artificial general intelligence, China’s accelerating AI race, and the vast fortunes awaiting those who move first—more clearly than anyone else.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
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StoneX is also accelerating via acquisitions.—
Jeffrey Hirsch,
CNBC,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The nonprofit will provide scholarships and supportive services for families raising children with autism.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Oct. 2025
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Prague Reuters — Billionaire Andrej Babis’s ANO party cruised to victory in the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election on Saturday, raising the prospect of a government that would boost Europe’s populist, anti-immigration camp and reduce support for Ukraine.—
Reuters 3 hr ago,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Other southern Arizona wineries are expanding with new eateries and event spaces to attract more visitors.—
Richard Ruelas,
AZCentral.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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Now, Meta is expanding those protections beyond Instagram.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His crossing has often been a source of frustration, sometimes ballooning the ball too often, taking too long to put it into the area or cutting back on himself hesitantly.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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Democrats claim Republicans have deliberately slow-walked the process to further their own agenda while Republicans claim Democrats are ballooning state spending.—
Isabella Volmert,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Fatal dog attacks, though rare in the United States, have been sharply rising in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
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Joel Quenneville taking over a rising team loaded with exciting young players and leading them to the playoffs?—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Strays arrived at the Fox with a swelling profile driven by relentless road work and a fan base that spans country, rock and Americana.—
Brian McCollum,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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Check for firm tubers and swelling eyes in the dahlias.—
Erica Browne Grivas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Reuters reported that membership in the GenZ 212, which derived its name from Morocco’s area code, has soared in recent days—jumping from 3,000 last week to 130,000 on Thursday.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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In fact, Apple’s stock was our top performer in the third fiscal quarter, jumping more than 24% in three months that ended Tuesday.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inflating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflating. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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