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
The protests then swelled to wider calls to stamp out corruption, repression and rising crime under President Dina Boluarte’s rule.
—
Kara Fox, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
By the time the five members of Tomorrow X Together (TXT for short) appear, not from the stage but through the pit doors, weaving past the barricades and into the sea of fans, the noise has swelled to seismic levels.
—Crystal Bell, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
In addition to winning over more and more stateside fans every year, the cross-pollinating of Western performers with Korean artists has also swelled significantly, resulting in big-name, culture-crossing collaborations between Jung Kook and Latto or Lisa with RAYE and Doja Cat.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2025
The ensemble swelled to a historic size for Season 50, presumably so that everyone could hang around for a year of celebrations.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
The photographs show how the wearable had swelled leaving no gap between his finger and the ring.
—PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
Cristina Jaimez, the 60-year-old who lost her kidney medication, said that in the days after the sweep her body swelled and she had been wracked with pain.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2025
By the time Alex Vesia took the mound for the eighth inning, the Dodgers’ lead had swelled by a run thanks to Teoscar Hernandez’s RBI double.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
The soft hum of Italian streets and historic marble facades swelled with cinema’s finest during the Venice Film Festival, providing the perfect backdrop for a conversation that feels as timeless as the city itself.
—Bruna Nessif, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
Kara Fox, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
By the time the five members of Tomorrow X Together (TXT for short) appear, not from the stage but through the pit doors, weaving past the barricades and into the sea of fans, the noise has swelled to seismic levels.
—Crystal Bell, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
In addition to winning over more and more stateside fans every year, the cross-pollinating of Western performers with Korean artists has also swelled significantly, resulting in big-name, culture-crossing collaborations between Jung Kook and Latto or Lisa with RAYE and Doja Cat.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2025
The ensemble swelled to a historic size for Season 50, presumably so that everyone could hang around for a year of celebrations.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
The photographs show how the wearable had swelled leaving no gap between his finger and the ring.
—PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
Cristina Jaimez, the 60-year-old who lost her kidney medication, said that in the days after the sweep her body swelled and she had been wracked with pain.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2025
By the time Alex Vesia took the mound for the eighth inning, the Dodgers’ lead had swelled by a run thanks to Teoscar Hernandez’s RBI double.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
The soft hum of Italian streets and historic marble facades swelled with cinema’s finest during the Venice Film Festival, providing the perfect backdrop for a conversation that feels as timeless as the city itself.
—Bruna Nessif, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swelled
Verb
-
In recent years the amount of screen time at school has increased as students and teachers transition to digital learning.—
Gili Malinsky,
CNBC,
8 Oct. 2025
-
What To Know OpenMinds said that Russia had increased its contract military recruitment in 2025, with a 40 percent year-on-year increase in social media ads, especially on the social network VK, during the first half of 2025.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Two years later, President Biden expanded the protections so more Venezuelans who had arrived in recent years could benefit.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
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What started as a walking tour of the historic Chickasaw neighborhood in 2012, during his years as president of the local neighborhood association, has since expanded to cover the other nine neighborhoods, after Taylor was awarded a fellowship through the Filson Historical Society in 2023.—
Keely Doll,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
His bones visibly protruded from his thin skin, according to court documents.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This set of seven makeup brushes comes in a leather case with a shiny rose gold finish.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
-
When the sun rose on the 17th, it was revealed that the colonists—possibly out of a last-minute change of plans, possibly out of moonlit confusion—had built a rough defensive fort on the other hill, Breed’s Hill.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Artificial intelligence has accelerated demand, creating an urgent need for more efficient infrastructure.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
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At the same time, by driving down costs through scale, China has accelerated clean-tech uptake in countries from Pakistan to Brazil to Indonesia.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Because tiny holes are poked into the soil surface, more nutrients can reach greater soil depths.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
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In a 2019 post celebrating his third wedding anniversary with Miles, Minoso poked fun at his character’s romantic shortcomings.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After declining in 2023-24 from the highs of the 2022-23 academic year, the percentage of principals and superintendents who left their districts climbed back up last school year.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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Ahead of us was another staircase, this one stone, which climbed up the front of the tallest of the three pyramids around the plaza.—
Simon Willis,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The show boosted tourism and spending in Nashville, with one in five visitors citing it as a motivation to visit.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Oct. 2025
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The overall trend has boosted a constellation of public and private companies involved in crypto.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swelled. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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