PUFFING Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

puffing

verb

present participle of puff

as in panting

to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty he came running up the stairs puffing and wheezing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in stroking

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 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 puffing Throughout Thursday’s ruling, Judge Bryan Biedscheid compared Meta and its suite of apps to a factory — and its harm to puffing toxins into the air. — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026 The sight of a dough puffing, cheese oozing out its side, becoming browned and crispy…who cannot be swayed? — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 July 2026 Set in an alternate past during Japan's Meiji era, the world of Sparks of Tomorrow is totally reliant on steam power, with massive boilers constantly puffing away. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026 Solar maximum was reached in late 2024, heating and puffing the Earth’s atmosphere, increasing the drag on all satellites. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 2 July 2026 Despite those flashes on the counter, Potter will have probably felt like puffing his cheeks and throwing his hands in the air. — Thom Harris, New York Times, 30 June 2026 In the mid-2000s, after getting the worst of it during a few hurricanes, the external panels had to be replaced, but they were faithfully reproduced down to the bull’s steam-puffing nostrils. — Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2026 Hilton asked the same cigar-puffing audience Friday moments after Bianco spoke. — Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Apr. 2026 Some people still try to breathe through their mouth during sleep, a phenomenon called 'mouth puffing. — Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 9 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffing

Verb

The delivery person added that none of the canines appeared to have access to food or sufficient water, and that all the animals were panting.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
Dogs primarily rely on panting, while cats also groom themselves to help regulate body temperature.

— Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 21 July 2026

Definition of panting

Verb

There was only one other visitor, another mother stroking another small head.

— Fran Moreland Johns, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Alongside Cruise feeding and stroking his dying cat while walking around his mansion with his gut hanging out, there are shots of planes readying for battle and collapsing polar ice caps.

— Brent Lang, Variety, 15 Apr. 2026

Definition of stroking

Verb

Police say Coffer was pulled to safety by his boat partner, who told police Simpson fled the scene and the boy was gasping for air.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Sharing a video of the moment, Kotb is seen turning a corner in her house and gasping in shock as she’s confronted with a rainbow fringe curtain in the entrance to her living room.

— Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of gasping

Verb

The audience, which was heavily pro-Bass, eventually started applauding more and more of Raman’s responses.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
That was because the player being replaced — match-winner Will Lankshear — took more than 10 seconds to depart while applauding the supporters.

— George Edwards, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of applauding

Verb

But instead of congratulating their long-time colleague, her co-workers, under the orders of their department head, urged her to think again.

— Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
The rest of the league is playing poker, while Dunleavy is sitting in the corner playing Solitaire and congratulating himself on not losing any cards.

— Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of congratulating

Verb

And, like Markiplier, Rice then embarks on years of hard work before the film’s release, massaging audience-specific outlets and influencers.

— Justine Bateman, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2026
For best results, the brand recommends massaging a dollop into the scalp for two full minutes before rinsing it out.

— Isabel Bekele, InStyle, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of massaging

Browse Nearby Words

puffery

puffing

puffing (up)

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Style

“Puffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffing. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of puffing

verb

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