swelled

verb

past tense of swell
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

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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

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 swelled Since 2024, the body’s ranks have swelled to include a number of podcasters, Substackers, and other independent creators, along with right-wing outfits such as Turning Point USA, Breitbart, and Newsmax. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 24 July 2026 In the following days, Beretti’s right knee swelled severely, according to her health department complaint. — Ella Moore july 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026 Monthly trading volume on Kalshi and Polymarket, much of it on sports, swelled from $2 billion in early 2025 to nearly $50 billion in June. — Jake Angelo, semafor.com, 23 July 2026 The group swelled but Pedersen, riding on a 56-tooth single chainring, gamely stuck with them all the way to the intermediate sprint, navigating a category-two and category-three climb on the way. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 23 July 2026 The project was born from Hebden’s long-running Spotify playlist, which has swelled to more than 2,300 songs and 192 hours of music in its decade of existence, and whose title is also rendered in a perpetually changing string of Wingdings. — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 18 July 2026 Dozens of people have been rescued from catastrophic flooding in southeastern Missouri, including some camping along a river that swelled to historic heights. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 10 July 2026 After soaking in the salad for a while, the raisins plumped and swelled, adding a yielding explosivity. — Cooking Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 And in 1993, after many more floods, the Mississippi swelled again, this time with memorable cruelty. — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swelled
  1. increased
  2. expanded
  3. protruded
  4. rose
  5. accelerated
  6. poked
  7. climbed
  8. boosted
Verb
  • Gas prices edged over $4 a gallon in Broward County and increased by 11 cents across the country compared to the same time last week.
    — Miami Herald Staff Report, Miami Herald, 27 July 2026
  • Since the inclusion of major studios and companies, the popular convention’s roster of talent has only increased, becoming part of mainstream Hollywood events.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of increased
Verb
  • The bank forecasts Taiwan's current account surplus to reach 25% of GDP this year, while exports have expanded at a record 40% to 70% pace for much of 2026.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 July 2026
  • Sienkiewicz got his start in comics back in the late 1970s, but today his colorful and recognizable style has expanded into illustration, animation, film and TV, book and album covers, advertising and fine art.
    — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of expanded
Verb
  • The skinny braids wrapped the bottom of the bun, while the thicker braids dressed the top, forming a cylinder shape that protruded from the crown of her head.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 29 June 2026
  • The problem was that many of them protruded from the front of vehicles like miniature medieval weapons.
    — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Definition of protruded
Verb
  • The positivity rate rose to 21% among employees who underwent random hair testing, according to the company’s annual Drug Testing Index.
    — A.J. Herrington, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Shares in chipmakers Samsung and TSMC in particular saw big gains from comparative lows, as investors bet that semiconductor demand would continue; tech-heavy benchmarks in South Korea, Taiwan, and China all rose.
    — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of rose
Verb
  • This swift expansion, following Huang's X post, highlights a new, accelerated tempo for tech policy formation.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • The scheduling of two executions – both via lethal injection – in one day comes as Florida has accelerated its pace of executions, even as other states have abolished or paused the practice.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
Definition of accelerated
Verb
  • Before McDaniel’s first NFL game, one Vikings defender aggressively poked his left eye in practice.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • It’s now understood that Russia in 2016 poked the election systems in all 50 states to check what protections were in place and accessed—but did not change—some very local registration rosters in Florida and Illinois.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 17 July 2026
Definition of poked
Verb
  • After pulling into their campsite well after nightfall, the couple climbed into bed, wondering what and who surrounded them.
    — Sarah Silbiger, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • Eventually, the sea lion climbed over the wall and the video cut.
    — Ashley Mackin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2026
Definition of climbed
Verb
  • The memory chipmaker reached a $1 trillion valuation in May, as a surge of investment in artificial intelligence boosted demand for semiconductors needed to run massive new data centers.
    — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • Further testing found that sinkhole trees had selected for genes that boosted photosynthesis and carbon fixation, showing how the populations had adapted for their low-light habitat.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
Definition of boosted

Phrases Containing swelled

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swell
swelled
swelled head
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Cite this Entry

“Swelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swelled. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of swelled for Spanish Speakers

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