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
Hannah Malach, InStyle, 25 Feb. 2026
There's a padded compartment to keep laptops or tablets secure, as well as zippered pockets for holding wallets and other valuables.
—Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2026
The actor toted two holdalls in suede mint green and black padded leather by Balenciaga bags and Gucci.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2026
After the ball plunged through the net, Brunson let out a roar, strutted across the baseline, and headbutted the padded backstop beneath the hoop.
—Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026
The padded backpack straps also impressed testers, most notably a design that retracts straps in a stash pocket when needed.
—Drew Zieff, Outside, 17 Feb. 2026
The crossbody bag also has a padded strap.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 17 Feb. 2026
The images of her skin were then printed onto the fabric that’s used for the padded wall panels of the bedroom.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
De Boo slid into the padded wall, seemingly more out of frustration than anything else.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026
And fortunately for Payton, Paton and company, this early 2026 draft class is padded with strengths in areas where the Broncos could stand to grow.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2026
This is an extremely long two-hour movie, padded out by an overstuffed ensemble.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
The liner and ear pads attach with snaps for durability, the ear pads have padded borders for comfort, and adjustable goggle vents help reduce fog.
—Adam Trenkamp, Outside, 16 Feb. 2026
Kylan Boswell, the Illini’s second-leading scorer and top defensive player, returned and played nearly 33 minutes after missing seven games with a broken right hand, his dominant hand, which was heavily taped and padded.
—Steve Stein, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Kylan Boswell, the Illini's second-leading scorer and top defensive player, returned and played nearly 33 minutes after missing seven games with a broken right hand, his dominant hand, which was heavily taped and padded.
—CBS News, 15 Feb. 2026
Merrell SpeedARC Matis Hiking Shoes Upgrade your hiking shoes to this Merrell style, featuring breathable mesh and padded collars to keep your feet cozy during your outdoor adventures.
—Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
The Seahawks players already padded their bank accounts by nearly $200,000 through the first three rounds of the playoffs.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Jenner's quirky off-the-shoulder blazer came with padded hips and was paired with a matching mini skirt.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 25 Feb. 2026
There's a padded compartment to keep laptops or tablets secure, as well as zippered pockets for holding wallets and other valuables.
—Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2026
The actor toted two holdalls in suede mint green and black padded leather by Balenciaga bags and Gucci.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2026
After the ball plunged through the net, Brunson let out a roar, strutted across the baseline, and headbutted the padded backstop beneath the hoop.
—Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026
The padded backpack straps also impressed testers, most notably a design that retracts straps in a stash pocket when needed.
—Drew Zieff, Outside, 17 Feb. 2026
The crossbody bag also has a padded strap.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 17 Feb. 2026
The images of her skin were then printed onto the fabric that’s used for the padded wall panels of the bedroom.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
De Boo slid into the padded wall, seemingly more out of frustration than anything else.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
Bags include a maxi tote and padded backpack with laptop pocket.
—Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026
And fortunately for Payton, Paton and company, this early 2026 draft class is padded with strengths in areas where the Broncos could stand to grow.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2026
This is an extremely long two-hour movie, padded out by an overstuffed ensemble.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
The liner and ear pads attach with snaps for durability, the ear pads have padded borders for comfort, and adjustable goggle vents help reduce fog.
—Adam Trenkamp, Outside, 16 Feb. 2026
Kylan Boswell, the Illini’s second-leading scorer and top defensive player, returned and played nearly 33 minutes after missing seven games with a broken right hand, his dominant hand, which was heavily taped and padded.
—Steve Stein, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Kylan Boswell, the Illini's second-leading scorer and top defensive player, returned and played nearly 33 minutes after missing seven games with a broken right hand, his dominant hand, which was heavily taped and padded.
—CBS News, 15 Feb. 2026
Merrell SpeedARC Matis Hiking Shoes Upgrade your hiking shoes to this Merrell style, featuring breathable mesh and padded collars to keep your feet cozy during your outdoor adventures.
—Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
The Seahawks players already padded their bank accounts by nearly $200,000 through the first three rounds of the playoffs.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for padded
Adjective
-
Once activated, the Fe-SMA bars aim to shrink back to their pre-stretched shape.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Feb. 2026
-
It’s formulated with calcium to promote new cell growth, adenosine to fill in wrinkles, collagen to maintain your skin’s density and thickness, elastin to restore stretched skin, and Vitamin D for rejuvenation.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Small, independent merchants don’t offer the bric-a-brac of Christmas baubles of embroidered kilts found in nearby (and more touristy) Pitlochry, but instead opt for used books at The Birnam Reader, artisanal cheeses and baked goods at Aran Bakery, and small-batch gin at LÒN.—
Timothy Latterner,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Along with embroidered chambray shirts and poplin button-downs, the standalone boutique features a dreamy lineup of books, linen napkins, and vintage accessories to complement your Wyoming attire.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In the enlarged vision of the classics slowly taking shape in the American academy, Yanxiao has found an intellectual foothold.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Maddix was born by emergency C-section with an enlarged heart that was causing a laundry list of other medical problems.—
Libby Smith,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Cue the embellished velvet cuissardes and retro little pumps that are no stranger to women of the ‘80s who loved a power dressing moment.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Gwyneth Paltrow dazzled in a sleeveless black Givenchy gown featuring a sheer bodice with a plunging V-neckline and lace overlay along with an embellished tea-length tulle skirt.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The ordinance aims to protect Santa Ana tenants from inflated or unfair rent increases that officials say can be driven by pricing tools, ones that critics argue allow landlords to artificially inflate rental prices, often working in coordination to manipulate competitive market rates.—
Mona Darwish,
Oc Register,
3 Mar. 2026
-
But those are the stocks that are most inflated versus their fundamentals.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Our setting is 1936 Chicago, but this is an exaggerated, fictional world, not ours or even Karloff’s.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
These findings add to a Claims Conference survey in January, which said that 9% of Irish adults believed the Holocaust was a myth, while another 17% believed the number of Jews killed had been greatly exaggerated.—
Shira Li Bartov,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The da Vinci system gives surgeons a magnified view and robotic hands that never shake, enabling very precise surgical maneuvers.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
5 July 2022
Adjective
-
Carmakers registered $65 billion in write-offs globally as companies were forced to overhaul their EV investments, squeezed by a pivot in US climate policy and an overstated enthusiasm for the green transition.—
Natasha Bracken,
semafor.com,
17 Feb. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Padded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/padded. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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