1
as in increased
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
the club membership has really swelled in recent months
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in expanded
to make greater in size, amount, or number
more layoffs will swell the ranks of the unemployed to unprecedented levels
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in protruded
to extend outward beyond a usual point
at that point the Congo River swells and forms Malebo Pool
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swelled
Becerra has since won endorsements from influential labor groups and Latino state leaders, and his once anemic fundraising has swelled.
—
ABC News, 14 May 2026
The popularity of Dry January has swelled.
—Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
The railroad was experiencing unprecedented demand for food as the number of train passengers swelled with the war effort.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Investors, including Microsoft, have since poured billions of dollars into OpenAI’s for-profit arm, and the company’s valuation has swelled to more than $850 billion.
—Ashley Capoot,jordan Novet, CNBC, 11 May 2026
And when Jalen Brunson banked in a floater with just under four minutes left in the period — a sequence that sent Maxey into frustration and head coach Nick Nurse calling a timeout — the Knicks’ lead suddenly swelled to 12.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
The line had swelled into a throng, which broke into a collective squeal as stars Robert Pattinson and Zendaya stepped out of a van to greet the crowd.
—Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
Amid the most important season of his career, all that love, all that loss, swelled inside him.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 7 May 2026
With specialist Trevor Baptiste dominating in the faceoff circle, the Seals continued to control time of possession and the lead swelled to 8-2 in the third quarter when Toronto finally snapped a 36-minute scoring drought.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2026
ABC News, 14 May 2026
The popularity of Dry January has swelled.
—Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
The railroad was experiencing unprecedented demand for food as the number of train passengers swelled with the war effort.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Investors, including Microsoft, have since poured billions of dollars into OpenAI’s for-profit arm, and the company’s valuation has swelled to more than $850 billion.
—Ashley Capoot,jordan Novet, CNBC, 11 May 2026
And when Jalen Brunson banked in a floater with just under four minutes left in the period — a sequence that sent Maxey into frustration and head coach Nick Nurse calling a timeout — the Knicks’ lead suddenly swelled to 12.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
The line had swelled into a throng, which broke into a collective squeal as stars Robert Pattinson and Zendaya stepped out of a van to greet the crowd.
—Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
Amid the most important season of his career, all that love, all that loss, swelled inside him.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 7 May 2026
With specialist Trevor Baptiste dominating in the faceoff circle, the Seals continued to control time of possession and the lead swelled to 8-2 in the third quarter when Toronto finally snapped a 36-minute scoring drought.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swelled
Verb
-
California alone spent $24 billion in 5 years fighting homelessness, yet the number of homeless increased.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
-
Greek food has always been on the menu at Skippers, but the demand for it has increased over time.—
Sarah Kyrcz,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Efforts have picked up in recent years to limit ownership, including in Utah, where its Republican governor, Spencer Cox, signed a bill into law that expanded previous foreign restrictions.—
Gabe Kaminsky,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
Brazil’s criminal organizations Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital have expanded aggressively across the Amazon over the past decade and now dominate key trafficking corridors linking coca-growing regions in Colombia and Peru to Atlantic ports used to ship cocaine to Europe.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Under the flaps of his jacket there was a small tear in his T-shirt, directly over his left nipple, which protruded like a knot of purple rope.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
Shards of glass and ceramic, rusted metal, medical and bio-waste, syringes, cracked circuit boards, and broken electronics protruded everywhere.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Wild sold the Beer Twigs during the regular season, but the team has seen an uptick in sales since the games rose in importance.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
Courts were backed up, the jail population rose once again, and absenteeism became rampant among corrections officers.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The intense recruitment drive has accelerated since January, reflecting the increasingly crucial role of drone warfare in the conflict, now into its fifth year.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
-
Plans for how the offense, defense and special teams were going to look needed to be accelerated.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Many curious passersby poked their heads inside, wondering if the restaurant was serving food again.—
Iris Kwok
May 12,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
Holding her breath, Ana poked her head into the coop.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The Hoosiers have climbed out of that hole thanks to Cignetti.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
Admission has steadily climbed since 2023, underscoring the interest in theatrical experiences.—
Daron James,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
In reaction to the strong Q1 print, TD Cowen analyst Joshua Buchalter reiterated a buy rating on AMD stock and boosted his price target to $500 from $290.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
17 May 2026
-
The state’s political ethics watchdog is investigating the campaign of gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer and an influencer who boosted him online for potentially violating a state law on political advertisements.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swelled. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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