1
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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2
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
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Recent Examples of puffing
This method of deep fueling is more effective at raising the plasma’s core density compared to puffing gas from the vessel’s edge.
—
Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2025
And that’s stirred up more discussions about getting labia puffing or labiaplasty to deal with these effects.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
This is not about puffing up the self, but about joining with something big.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 6 Aug. 2025
Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2025
And that’s stirred up more discussions about getting labia puffing or labiaplasty to deal with these effects.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
This is not about puffing up the self, but about joining with something big.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffing
Verb
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Howard’s best comedies have a light, almost effortless touch, but this one is panting and gasping essentially from the opening frames.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
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Officers responding to the scene found the dog panting heavily, with excessive drool coating the back seat.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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No one wants to follow an ego-stroking social media account with zero content value.—
Peter Boyd,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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In the black-and-white video, Kelly could be seen holding his baby's hand, stroking her fingers.—
Sarah Jones,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The fears of my imagination, the possibility of losing a child due to one inattentive moment, all combined to leave me gasping for breath.—
Adam Verner
September 3,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
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Their difficult, high-flying act left the judges and live audience gasping.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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More Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images Kardashian's comments sparked debate, with some parents applauding her stance and others questioning whether less homework might come at the expense of academic rigor.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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Thousands of spectators rose to give Williams a standing ovation; Townsend and Siniaková then joined in, applauding for Williams.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The update sparked further discussion in the thread, with many praising the shopper for doing the right thing.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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While praising Vandersloot’s abilities and leadership, Reese balked at the prospect of building the roster around a point guard attempting to return from an ACL tear at age 36.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The two remain good friends, with Dawson even congratulating Booker on his recent engagement.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
3 Sep. 2025
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What To Know On Thursday Obama shared an X post from the official Democratic Party account congratulating Drey on her victory.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Work it into the fabric by massaging it with the pads of your fingers or by rubbing the fabric against itself.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Sep. 2025
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First, folks milk venom from snakes by massaging their venom glands into glass containers.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Instead, Murphy drafted a resolution commending the students’ efforts and shared it with them.—
Teri Cadeau,
Twin Cities,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffing. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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