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
But to diversify its ranks, the Oscars organization has swelled in recent years.
—
ABC News,
24 June 2026
Brazilian broadcaster CazéTV had encouraged its viewers to follow Vozinha during the match, and the response was immediate — his following swelled to 1 million within minutes of the final whistle.
—
Olivia Shalhoup,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
On the balance sheet, Warsh has long objected to the Fed's large position in bond markets, which swelled during and after the financial crisis of 2008, as well as in the Covid pandemic in 2020.
—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
21 June 2026
But SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI swelled to tremendous sizes thanks to dollars from private investors, including pension funds, companies and rich investors, away from the public market.
—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Crowds around the Garden swelled past 10,000 people Wednesday night.
—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
The defensive sideline erupted, and Morrison’s chest swelled.
—
Rick Stroud,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
But SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI swelled to tremendous sizes thanks to dollars from private investors, including pension funds, companies and rich investors, away from the public market.
—
Stan Choe,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
Even on a 90-degree day, when my feet swelled after hours of walking, the laces felt comfy rather than restrictive.
—
Jacqueline Tempera,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
ABC News,
24 June 2026
Brazilian broadcaster CazéTV had encouraged its viewers to follow Vozinha during the match, and the response was immediate — his following swelled to 1 million within minutes of the final whistle.
—
Olivia Shalhoup,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
On the balance sheet, Warsh has long objected to the Fed's large position in bond markets, which swelled during and after the financial crisis of 2008, as well as in the Covid pandemic in 2020.
—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
21 June 2026
But SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI swelled to tremendous sizes thanks to dollars from private investors, including pension funds, companies and rich investors, away from the public market.
—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Crowds around the Garden swelled past 10,000 people Wednesday night.
—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
The defensive sideline erupted, and Morrison’s chest swelled.
—
Rick Stroud,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
But SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI swelled to tremendous sizes thanks to dollars from private investors, including pension funds, companies and rich investors, away from the public market.
—
Stan Choe,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
Even on a 90-degree day, when my feet swelled after hours of walking, the laces felt comfy rather than restrictive.
—
Jacqueline Tempera,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swelled
Verb
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Through 2025, the application backlog increased, leaving it 48% higher than at the end of former President Joe Biden’s term.
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The bank said last week's hawkish Federal Open Market Committee meeting has increased uncertainty over the outlook for short-term interest rates, even as lower oil prices have eased concerns about an economic downturn.
Verb
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Under his leadership, SMUD expanded workforce training programs, and joined the state’s Energy Imbalance Market, a wholesale energy-trading market that allows SMUD to buy low-cost renewable energy in real time, and sell excess energy to generate additional revenue.
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According to the agency, the Dodd-Frank Act, a 2010 law passed in the wake of the housing crash to tighten financial oversight, expanded its authority by giving it control over swaps, a type of derivative contract.
Verb
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The problem was that many of them protruded from the front of vehicles like miniature medieval weapons.
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In his right leg, Adin's tibia bone was broken in half and protruded through the skin.
Verb
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Shady Alassar | Anadolu | Getty Images Oil rose slightly early Tuesday, fluctuating as investors show cautious optimism about an end to the conflict in the Middle East.
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Humphreys’ coach at the 2024 world championship in Belgium told him his pulse rate rose to 207.
Verb
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Video shows how chase led to deadly crash Instead of stopping, the purple car accelerated and sped through a red light, according to video from Joel’s dashboard camera.
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One of the officials told CNN that the Justice Department’s National Security Division was already preparing to look at some of the stories’ sources, but Trump’s stack accelerated the effort.
Verb
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Griffin also poked at the cohosts in the immediate aftermath of Hasselbeck and former View moderator Rosie O'Donnell's legendary on-air fight in 2007, as Griffin was a guest host the following day and brought up the incident numerous times — which annoyed Walters in the moment.
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Late in the third, the Knights seemed to retake the lead after Pavel Dorofeyev poked home a loose puck.
Verb
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Yet robust economic growth has proved elusive, even as government debt has climbed, leaving successive administrations with little firepower to fix a growing list of related challenges, from crumbling infrastructure to a chronic housing shortage.
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While other similarly sized cities in the ranking have fallen, Pittsburgh climbed by five spots in 2026.
Verb
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And the rise of African soccer hasn’t just boosted the fortunes of African teams.
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The set was boosted by a modest stiletto heel.
Cite this Entry
“Swelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swelled. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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