as in stretched
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as in exaggerated
to add to the interest of by including made-up details
the journalist was fired for padding certain stories to make them more interesting
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Recent Examples of padded
Lara Walsh, InStyle, 27 Jan. 2026
Despite being on sale for $25, this small-but-mighty bag is flush with features, including a separate zippered wet pocket, a pass-through trolley sleeve, multiple interior and exterior compartments, and a removable padded shoulder strap to boot.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 22 Jan. 2026
The padded pocket can accommodate a 15-inch laptop, and the exterior zip pocket provides an ideal place to hold chargers, a notebook, or other small essentials.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
In between corduroy suits and Fair Isle cardigans, the brand has zeroed in on padded vests as the key transitional piece to layer over the looks, conveying a sense of practicality without forgoing style.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
Use an indoor drying rack to dry the faux fur flat, or place it on a sturdy, padded hanger and hang it from a shower rod to dry.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 14 Jan. 2026
Getting flip-flops with thick, padded soles will ensure that your ankles, toes and heels don’t feel sore after a long day.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
The Italian ski boot design is inspired by high-tech astronaut gear, and is constructed of insulated nylon fabric, with a padded rubber sole that provides traction in every environment.
—Gretta Monahan, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
The detachable, adjustable shoulder strap is padded for comfort, and the two carrying handles are smooth vinyl.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2026
The ivory ballgown featured a Victorian-style lace bodice with a V-neckline, a skirt that was padded at the hips to resemble an opening flower and a nearly 9-foot-long train.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
But his co-stars remained quiet, and Miami padded its lead.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
The insoles are padded with thick latex for comfort and extra breathability so your feet don’t get sweaty.
—Olivia Dubyak, InStyle, 31 Dec. 2025
The streaming era has produced its share of pathologies, including bloated running times and narratives padded with filler.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 29 Dec. 2025
The wavefields are then digitally padded and numerically propagated back to the object plane.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Dec. 2025
When shut, the lid is padded to serve as a place to put on shoes.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Posh Spice embraced ‘80s maximalism with her blazer’s padded shoulders, bright color, wide lapels, and oversized fit.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 27 Jan. 2026
Despite being on sale for $25, this small-but-mighty bag is flush with features, including a separate zippered wet pocket, a pass-through trolley sleeve, multiple interior and exterior compartments, and a removable padded shoulder strap to boot.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 22 Jan. 2026
The padded pocket can accommodate a 15-inch laptop, and the exterior zip pocket provides an ideal place to hold chargers, a notebook, or other small essentials.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
In between corduroy suits and Fair Isle cardigans, the brand has zeroed in on padded vests as the key transitional piece to layer over the looks, conveying a sense of practicality without forgoing style.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
Use an indoor drying rack to dry the faux fur flat, or place it on a sturdy, padded hanger and hang it from a shower rod to dry.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 14 Jan. 2026
Getting flip-flops with thick, padded soles will ensure that your ankles, toes and heels don’t feel sore after a long day.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
The Italian ski boot design is inspired by high-tech astronaut gear, and is constructed of insulated nylon fabric, with a padded rubber sole that provides traction in every environment.
—Gretta Monahan, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
The Denver defense padded their stats against a bunch of second tier teams.
—Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
The detachable, adjustable shoulder strap is padded for comfort, and the two carrying handles are smooth vinyl.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2026
The ivory ballgown featured a Victorian-style lace bodice with a V-neckline, a skirt that was padded at the hips to resemble an opening flower and a nearly 9-foot-long train.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
But his co-stars remained quiet, and Miami padded its lead.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
The insoles are padded with thick latex for comfort and extra breathability so your feet don’t get sweaty.
—Olivia Dubyak, InStyle, 31 Dec. 2025
The streaming era has produced its share of pathologies, including bloated running times and narratives padded with filler.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 29 Dec. 2025
The wavefields are then digitally padded and numerically propagated back to the object plane.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Dec. 2025
When shut, the lid is padded to serve as a place to put on shoes.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 20 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for padded
Adjective
-
The stretched body improves aerodynamics while giving the car a sleek, understated appearance.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Nov. 2025
-
America’s health care system is straining under the twin pressures of an aging population and a stretched pool of health care providers.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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For farmhouse flair, look to the retailer’s range of sweet, embroidered florals and wallpaper-esque prints.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Asymmetrical skirts, lace trim, embroidered velvet and balloon sleeves captures the mood, as well as Rama Duwaji, artist and the new First Lady of New York City.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
If conservative treatments fail, more invasive options — such as surgery to remove enlarged tonsils — may be considered, experts say.—
Shiv Sudhakar,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Other features include an entrance plaza, a new seventy-four-seat forum, an enlarged seventh-floor sky room, and three new elevators, to improve circulation.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
At the center of it all, Yerin Ha radiates in a shimmering empire waist gown, silver gloves, and an embellished mask.—
Madeline Hirsch,
InStyle,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Blanco omitted a shirt under his black suit but wore a dazzling silver necklace and coordinating embellished loafers.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
For the majority of investors, the considerable execution risks and inflated valuations render Moderna an undesirable investment despite the thrilling clinical news from yesterday.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
And while some health trends are a bit inflated—in this case, the hype is well-deserved.—
Kristine Thomason,
Vogue,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The result is exaggerated price moves, especially in smaller precious metals markets, where relatively modest inflows can push prices sharply higher, making the rally feel detached from traditional supply-and-demand dynamics.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Rowland maintained the sharp lines of the shoes and paired them with an oversize sculptural jacket with exaggerated lapels, with nothing underneath.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
For the Fed, which was raising interest rates in 2023 and 2024, this meant that policy decisions may have been based on an overstated view of economic strength.—
Jeff Gapusan,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Getty Images The committee's move followed a June Federal Railroad Administration compliance review that concluded the California High-Speed Rail Authority lacked a viable path to complete the project on time or on budget and flagged overstated ridership projections and other management failures.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Padded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/padded. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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