padding 1 of 3

1
as in filling
soft material that is used to fill the hollow parts of something the padding is leaking out of that pillow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in exaggeration
the representation of something in terms that go beyond the facts that feature writer is sometimes guilty of padding, since his stories often contain colorful details that can't be verified

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

padding

2 of 3

verb (1)

present participle of pad

padding

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of pad

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of padding
Noun
Data centers will also need some extra padding around the edge for things like parking or equipment storage (probably not for buying hot dogs). Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025 This model by Unikome features plush foam padding covered in soft, upholstered faux shearling, supported by sturdy rubberwood legs. Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
Bob Hawkey, a Grant Thornton consultant, said the city has to work on convincing voters that the potential 1% tax hike won’t be about padding the budget, but about ensuring long-term financial stability. Hanna Kang, Oc Register, 18 Aug. 2025 Current students are allowed to continue under the old loan structure, which conservatives have criticized for padding private universities' bottom lines and shouldering students with ballooning debt loads. Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for padding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for padding
Noun
  • While first batch bakes, repeat process with remaining pastry sheet, filling, egg mixture, and Cheddar cheese.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025
  • It’s known for its pizza bread with a pizza sauce, pepperoni and cheese filling, selling more than 700 a day, VanLue said, at $6 each.
    Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Overstatement, gross exaggeration, outright lying.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
  • And like the previous two, including an Emmy Award-winning 2022 series about Milwaukee serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, the story of Ed Gein has a number of exaggerations and fabrications over its eight episodes.
    JR Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Either technology can show an assortment of issues like banding and dithering patterns in fills, which vary from printer to printer and can even vary from one quality setting to another with the same printer.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
  • For those who hadn’t gotten their musical fill for the evening, the timing was perfect as local songwriter Sydney Sprague began her set on the outdoor stage as the Coliseum emptied into the fairgrounds.
    Josh Chesler, AZCentral.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Small changes, such as taking short active breaks or incorporating stretching exercises, can make a significant difference.
    Jack McNamara, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Timelines in quantum computing, as in many technically challenging fields, have a habit of stretching.
    Nikita Ostrovsky, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • If your travel wish list includes a new pair of walking shoes, a sleek luggage set, or compression packing cubes, now is the perfect time to start your shopping spree and save up to 76 percent.
    Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Check In Pull back the packing material and check tubers every couple of weeks.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The vast majority, about $59 billion, is earmarked for farm safety-net enhancements.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The paper also reported that the judge also added a sentencing enhancement related to coercion.
    Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The dahlias will take center stage and look especially lush against small filler flowers.
    Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The most interesting part of that stat is the fact Miami’s biggest run of the season so far is 26 yards, which means that average is all filler, and no fluff.
    Omar Kelly October 2, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Performers milled on the street with bobbing paper mache heads of Uncle Sam and other caricatures.
    Neda Ulaby, NPR, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Contemporary leaders and still-in-progress totalitarian regimes bump up against Ralph Steadman’s caricature sketches for an edition of Animal Farm, Orwell’s second most famous book, and clips from three different screen adaptations of 1984, his most famous work.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Padding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/padding. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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