puffing

verb

present participle of puff
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

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 Ever since the German medical scientist Franz Hermann Müller published solid evidence of a link between smoking and lung cancer in 1939, the health risks of puffing on tobacco have only become clearer. — Mike McRae 10, New Atlas, 10 Sep. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffing
  1. panting
  2. stroking
  3. gasping
  4. applauding
  5. praising
  6. congratulating
  7. massaging
  8. commending
Verb
  • Like some of the music, the album artwork also pays homage to the animal world and our interconnectedness—the abstract piece offers a single line drawing that weaves in outlines of a panting dog, screeching cat, stoic bunny, and wise owl.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 28 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of panting
Verb
  • Guests have reported footsteps in the attic, the feeling of someone stroking their face, a shower rode repeatedly flying off the wall and loud noises from outside the front door when no one is there.
    — Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
  • There was only one other visitor, another mother stroking another small head.
    — Fran Moreland Johns, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Definition of stroking
Verb
  • Advertisement Tell your doctor about the pauses, gasping, and any daytime sleepiness.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Abrams does yeoman’s work with a character stuck in a tight spot for most of the running time, constantly grunting and gasping with a mixture of anguish and exhaustion as his body gets progressively more beat up and broken.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of gasping
Verb
  • Ormond’s lawyers issued a statement on Thursday applauding the ruling.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Cam Smith spoiled a third consecutive two-strike slider, stared into the first-base dugout and saw his manager applauding.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of applauding
Verb
  • At the same time, the Daily Beast reported on the Fielder fandom, with devotees praising his voice, competence and willingness to debase himself for the camera.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
  • On Friday, Netanyahu appeared to make an electoral pitch to Israel’s settler right, praising them as serving Israel by establishing 100 new communities and farms in the West Bank.
    — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of praising
Verb
  • How Mana got his start A young man walking on Flagler recognized Mana and stopped to shake his hand, congratulating him on the recent billion-dollar sale in Wynwood.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Please join me in congratulating Kayleen and welcoming Maria to XBOX!
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of congratulating
Verb
  • Luzon layered her signature 24-karat gold mask over a professional-use DNA mask, massaging the treatment to enhance absorption.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • This is all without compromising the skin barrier, and offering a massaging action that enhances relaxation and turns a functional step into a spa-like treatment as a small wellness ritual.
    — Laura Sandroni, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of massaging
Verb
  • Two Democratic political organizations are running adverts on the House’s bill to ban congressional stock trading, criticizing a Republican over the vote while commending a Democrat running in a different district for supporting the bill.
    — Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Related Articles The runway appearance of both Hosk and Palvin has set the internet aflame, with awed viewers commending the new moms and calling attention to the indelible power of women.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of commending

Browse Nearby Words

puffery
puffing
puffing (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Puffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffing. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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