puffing (up)

Definition of puffing (up)next
present participle of puff (up)
See the Dictionary Definition 

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffing (up)
Verb
  • Doing so, officials say, helps protect not only those rolling up their sleeves but those who cannot get vaccinated, such as the very youngest children.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
  • Hospitals like Children’s Mercy, one of only 28 stand-alone children’s hospitals in the country, are increasingly rolling up pediatric care over wider geographic regions.
    Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • At the time, teen powerhouses like Aaliyah, Brandy, and Monica were blowing up the charts and Interscope was hoping Mýa could be their own proverbial cash cow.
    Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 18 May 2026
  • About to hit rock bottom, Peter is therefore oblivious to the +44 numbers that are blowing up his phone, until the caller — a British clubber called Edison (the fantastic Kirby Howell-Baptiste) — arrives on his doorstep.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • Brown is still building up his pitch count with his transition from the bullpen to the rotation, requiring high efficiency facing Major League Baseball’s best offense to give them that many outs.
    Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2026
  • According to Gabrielle Correale, Ground Up’s director of marketing, the shoe firm is responsible for building up each brand’s footwear category.
    Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • James Ward During the debate, Republican candidate Steve Hilton said that only a small percentage of California has been developed for housing, arguing that the state should focus on building homes on undeveloped land rather than increasing density in existing cities.
    James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
  • Doing so compresses the light reflected from the plasma, thereby increasing its intensity.
    Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 14 May 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Puffing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffing%20%28up%29. Accessed 23 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster