puffing (up)

present participle of puff (up)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffing (up)
Verb
  • Garcia said Lindsey continued to refuse multiple verbal orders and police body camera video shows Lindsey rolling up his windows, trying to take off his seatbelt before opening the door.
    Briauna Brown, CBS News, 30 July 2026
  • Private equity has been rolling up local HVAC, plumbing and electrical businesses, stitching together fragmented operators into regional platforms.
    Renana Ashkenazi, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • But more than that, the mill blowing up just couldn’t be possible.
    Ethan Brooks, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • After flying for about an hour halfway around the world, the upper-stage portion of the Starship vehicle managed to land intact in the Indian Ocean – without blowing up.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • Government reshuffle Ahead of the next winter period, Ukraine is strengthening the defense of its energy infrastructure and building up reserves to ensure sufficient supplies of heat and electricity.
    Sam Meredith, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies start right after birth with three to five minutes at a time, building up to more than an hour a day.
    Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
Verb
  • The latest revelations about Welch come as the speaker on Wednesday made the rounds of several media outlets in an effort to shore up support for his leadership amid increasing scrutiny.
    Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Medina Diaz ran on increasing public education funding, strengthening the school system, improving aging infrastructure and raising the state minimum wage to $16.
    Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Puffing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffing%20%28up%29. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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