as in swollen
enlarged beyond normal from internal pressure
her eyelid was so puffed she couldn't see with that eye
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in gasped
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty
he came running up the stairs puffing and wheezing
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in applauded
to praise too much
a talk show host who can be counted on to puff up the celebrities who readily consent to be interviewed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of puffed
Molly Baz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
Bake, 1 baking sheet at a time, in preheated oven until slightly puffed and golden brown, about 12 minutes.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
Bake until puffed and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Feb. 2026
The restaurant serves both traditional pancakes and a German-style pancake baked until puffed and golden, a menu item that has helped set it apart over the decades.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
The look featured a hood and a puffed silhouette.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
What emerged was an omelet of ideal and epitomic shape—straight, proudly puffed, about six and a half inches long and two and a half inches wide, with squarish ends and neither a speck nor drop of oil or liquid egg anywhere around.
—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
Bake on the middle rack of the heated oven until the top is puffed and lightly golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clear, 25 to 30 minutes.
—Georgeanne Brennan, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
In the final days of their season, Tigers players both slammed bats and puffed victory cigars.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
When a stray kitten arrived at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter in early March, her tiny body was puffed up like a balloon.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Mar. 2026
The couple in the portraits wear traditional folk costumes, down to the woman’s puffed white sleeves and the daisies embroidered on the straps of the man’s suspenders.
—Kendra Atleework, Longreads, 12 Mar. 2026
Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook, checking occasionally and adjusting heat if boiling too rapidly, until balls are puffed and light in color, 30–40 minutes.
—Molly Baz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
There are corsets, puffed sleeves and little old timey trinkets that speak of her and co-star Jacob Elordi’s bond.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer, checking occasionally to make sure water isn’t boiling too rapidly, until matzo balls are very puffed and light in color, 30–40 minutes.
—Molly Baz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
Bake, 1 baking sheet at a time, in preheated oven until slightly puffed and golden brown, about 12 minutes.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
Bake until puffed and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Feb. 2026
The restaurant serves both traditional pancakes and a German-style pancake baked until puffed and golden, a menu item that has helped set it apart over the decades.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
The look featured a hood and a puffed silhouette.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
Bake in preheated oven until cookies have puffed and are set around edges, but slightly soft in center, about 11 minutes, rotating pans from top to bottom halfway through.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
What emerged was an omelet of ideal and epitomic shape—straight, proudly puffed, about six and a half inches long and two and a half inches wide, with squarish ends and neither a speck nor drop of oil or liquid egg anywhere around.
—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
Bake on the middle rack of the heated oven until the top is puffed and lightly golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clear, 25 to 30 minutes.
—Georgeanne Brennan, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
In the final days of their season, Tigers players both slammed bats and puffed victory cigars.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
When a stray kitten arrived at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter in early March, her tiny body was puffed up like a balloon.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Mar. 2026
The couple in the portraits wear traditional folk costumes, down to the woman’s puffed white sleeves and the daisies embroidered on the straps of the man’s suspenders.
—Kendra Atleework, Longreads, 12 Mar. 2026
Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook, checking occasionally and adjusting heat if boiling too rapidly, until balls are puffed and light in color, 30–40 minutes.
—Molly Baz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
There are corsets, puffed sleeves and little old timey trinkets that speak of her and co-star Jacob Elordi’s bond.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffed
Adjective
-
Brian Hooker told an officer he had been assaulted by his wife, who struck him multiple times, according to the report, which said he was found with a swollen, bloody nose.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the supple leather stretches to accommodate swollen feet.—
Irene Richardson,
InStyle,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When Harari told the same story on The Daily Show, the audience gasped.—
Amanda Gefter,
Quanta Magazine,
10 Apr. 2026
-
One of his teenage children gasped for air in the middle of the night.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The United Center faithful applauded as the final horn sounded for the last time this season.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The show then cut to the present day, where the audience applauded Plaza, whose baby bump could be seen under her navy blue dress.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On one of the machines a Cluely employee panted and huffed in the dark.—
Sam Kriss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Davidson, a 6-foot-1 freshman, stroked a perfect shot from the right side to send the Trojans (18-13) into a second-round matchup with top seed South Carolina on Monday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
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One contestant in a Travis Kelce butt cut leaped over an ironing board; another held a tape measure to his crotch and stroked it.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Board member Ann Maine congratulated Aitchison after the meeting.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The morning show host congratulated Sophia and Isabella — who went to different high schools — on their accomplishments with individual social media posts.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
All of those Democratic contenders had quickly called on Swalwell to quit the race and praised the women who came forward.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
13 Apr. 2026
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Before Mamdani spoke, the crowd heard from a city transportation department staffer to hear about Mamdani’s pothole filling blitz; a tenant organizer who praised the mayor’s focus on renters; and a mother who boosted his push to expand child care programs in the city.—
Anthony Izaguirre,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Despite how difficult sitting through the case was, the jurors commended Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez for her fairness — and lead prosecutor Abbe Rifkin for fighting so hard for Quatisha.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
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At a news conference after the hearing, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney apologized to the families of the victims and commended the authorities who ultimately caught Heuermann.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffed. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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