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 Moon — unlike Mars — does not have an atmosphere to supply carbon dioxide for growing algae, so the house-inflating fungi might have to be fed sawdust from Earth.
—
Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
That is propaganda, not just pushed by the groups who agitated for this specific war but also sewn by the massive war machine in DC that’s spent decades inflating threats to justify its continued existence.
—Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
The former employee said the rapper systematically underpaid him, committing tax fraud in the process by inflating his wages in reports to the IRS.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
She is also accused of falsely inflating business expenses and charitable contributions to reduce her tax liability.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
By inflating microplastic counts in this size range, using laboratory gloves may jeopardize the studies that inform future policies and regulations.
—Anne McNeil, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
The city was sued in December by a watchdog group that alleges the city has been inflating the assessed value and taxes of commercial properties that file abatements, a practice the group has slammed as retaliatory and unlawful.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Perhaps dreaming of warmer weather, multiple House lawmakers were seen at their desks Wednesday inflating beach balls patterned with the Iowa state flag.
—Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register, 19 Mar. 2026
Both sides accused the other of inflating the opponent’s casualty numbers.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
That is propaganda, not just pushed by the groups who agitated for this specific war but also sewn by the massive war machine in DC that’s spent decades inflating threats to justify its continued existence.
—Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
The former employee said the rapper systematically underpaid him, committing tax fraud in the process by inflating his wages in reports to the IRS.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
She is also accused of falsely inflating business expenses and charitable contributions to reduce her tax liability.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
By inflating microplastic counts in this size range, using laboratory gloves may jeopardize the studies that inform future policies and regulations.
—Anne McNeil, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
The city was sued in December by a watchdog group that alleges the city has been inflating the assessed value and taxes of commercial properties that file abatements, a practice the group has slammed as retaliatory and unlawful.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Perhaps dreaming of warmer weather, multiple House lawmakers were seen at their desks Wednesday inflating beach balls patterned with the Iowa state flag.
—Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register, 19 Mar. 2026
Both sides accused the other of inflating the opponent’s casualty numbers.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflating
Verb
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The investigation comes amid increasing federal scrutiny of the amount of money fans are paying to watch sports on television.—
Joe Reedy,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Even as Silicon Valley continues to generate extraordinary wealth and innovation, the system supporting that success is under increasing pressure.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By building the infrastructure, visibility and global connections that African women filmmakers need to succeed, WIF LA and WIFT Africa are accelerating both cultural diplomacy and an equitable, sustainable industry for generations to come.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
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The Gulf’s largest sovereign wealth funds more than quadrupled their private credit exposure between 2021 and 2025 — to $80 billion — with investment accelerating over the past two years, according to data from Global SWF.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Perhaps the easiest way to start an argument online is to post a video of a mother raising her child.—
Micah Barkley,
Bloomberg,
10 Apr. 2026
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Political parties were disincentivized from forming coalitions—which might have unified the anti-Orbán vote—by incrementally raising the threshold required for alliances to enter Parliament.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Mantello’s production actually frees the play from its own time, expanding its vista.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Murillo said the Mining Arc later became a financial lifeline for the Venezuelan regime as oil revenues collapsed, with gold extraction expanding rapidly under opaque arrangements involving state players and armed groups.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On his goal, Thomas swooped into the middle lane to dust McTavish and receive a slick feed from Broberg that sent him toward a vulnerable Dostál with speed for a rising shot.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
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Will the retirement age keep rising?—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This is largely due to how bodily fluids behave and realign in microgravity, which frequently causes swelling in the nasal passages.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2026
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Ice rollers and cryo tools are best for reducing puffiness, calming inflammation and easing morning swelling by temporarily constricting blood vessels.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, the economic slowdown in China and ballooning public debt in the United States are in part due to the two powers’ aging populations.—
John Rennie Short,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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Prepare for another massive change with temps jumping again in the Philadelphia region.—
Bill Kelly,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The video, which circulated on social media Friday, shows three men wearing white shirts and black pants jumping out of a car beside a field in southwestern Iran.—
Max Burman,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflating. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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