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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inflating
Tariffs not only lead to additional import taxes, but by inflating the cost of the products, result in the need for importers to increase the value of customs bonds the government requires them to hold.
—
Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
Releasing skis is potentially more dangerous than inflating an air bag.
—CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Releasing skis is potentially more dangerous than inflating an air bag.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
Seidler and his fellow owners incurred massive debt while inflating the payroll to $282 million in 2023, third highest in the league.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
There should be a prohibition against corporations buying up and inflating existing homes.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Applications for bonding leave opened in November, inflating the first month’s numbers, according to DEED, which is tasked with running the program.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2026
In 2008, towards the beginning of his presidency, Barack Obama frequently berated oil speculators for artificially inflating prices.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Express Scripts, a major pharmacy benefit manager owned by Cigna, reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday over accusations of artificially inflating insulin prices.
—Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
Releasing skis is potentially more dangerous than inflating an air bag.
—CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Releasing skis is potentially more dangerous than inflating an air bag.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
Seidler and his fellow owners incurred massive debt while inflating the payroll to $282 million in 2023, third highest in the league.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
There should be a prohibition against corporations buying up and inflating existing homes.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Applications for bonding leave opened in November, inflating the first month’s numbers, according to DEED, which is tasked with running the program.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2026
In 2008, towards the beginning of his presidency, Barack Obama frequently berated oil speculators for artificially inflating prices.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Express Scripts, a major pharmacy benefit manager owned by Cigna, reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday over accusations of artificially inflating insulin prices.
—Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflating
Verb
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Throughout these years, Ma began to feel an increasing sense of remorse at his complicity in this system, which sparked deeper soul-searching around his identity as a Muslim, and what that meant within Chinese society.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Beef prices have been increasing since the beginning of the decade.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As a result, forward profit margin expectations are actively accelerating for companies successfully utilizing AI.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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Such a visit could be the ticket to turning down the temperature in a rapidly accelerating sub-regional showdown whose costs will be borne by the sub-region’s approximately 200 million people.—
Cameron Hudson,
semafor.com,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While more than one-third of that backlog is now being released, a handful of states — including California, Illinois, Minnesota and Colorado — are being left out, raising new concerns that the administration is playing politics with critical emergency assistance, the sources said.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Melissa Claire Egan is opening up about some sobering health news in hopes of raising awareness.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In his closing remarks at the congress, Kim doubled down on expanding the nation’s nuclear arsenal.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
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The company currently has 282 active customers and are expanding each day.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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With concerns rising about lagging childhood literacy rates across the country, Nationwide Children's Hospital has begun screening children's literacy skills starting at age 3 during pediatrician visits.—
MAKIYA SEMINERA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
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Videos geolocated and verified by CNN show a large fire at a residential high-rise building in Bahrain’s capital Manama on Saturday and smoke rising from the vicinity of the Crowne Plaza hotel in the city on Sunday.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Medics rushed him in critical condition to Brookdale University Hospital with bleeding and swelling on the brain, according to court papers.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
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In South Carolina, multiple people, including children, have been hospitalized with a form of brain swelling called encephalitis, which can lead to permanent intellectual disability or deafness, and in some cases turn fatal.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, the checks are ballooning to steakhouse-level sums.—
Robert F. Moss,
Southern Living,
21 Feb. 2026
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Analysts have estimated that keeping the unit open for 90 additional days will cost the utilities at least $20 million, with costs ballooning to as much as $150 million if its life is extended one year.—
Callie Patteson,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pups lick clean their pup cups Video above, shared by Saraceno, showed the pups excitedly digging into their cups and jumping up with joy.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
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No wonder Rob felt like jumping.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflating. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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