as in lump
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue
the swelling at the site of the insect bite was not too concerning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in surging
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in increasing
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
the club membership has really swelled in recent months
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accelerating
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 protruding
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.
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Recent Examples of swelling
Colleen Sullivan, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2025
In lab models of arthritis, this extract reduced visible swelling.
—FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Oct. 2025
New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2025
Brown widow and bold jumping spiders, which measure only a half-inch in size, also have painful bites that can produce redness, swelling and blistering.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swelling
Noun
Risks Non-breathable or tight covers trap condensation, causing warping, swelling, or mildew.
—Colleen Sullivan, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2025
In lab models of arthritis, this extract reduced visible swelling.
—FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Another effective anti-swelling remedy is a delicious snack that may be hiding in the fridge.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
Many of the early signs – shortness of breath during normal daily tasks, fatigue, weight gain and swelling in the legs and ankles – are non-specific symptoms, and people often attribute them to natural aging.
—New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2025
Brown widow and bold jumping spiders, which measure only a half-inch in size, also have painful bites that can produce redness, swelling and blistering.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swelling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swelling
Noun
-
Lined up next to rookie left tackle Josh Simmons and veteran center Creed Humphrey, Suamataia took some lumps in the first two preseason games before settling in for a clean sheet in the third look against the Bears.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The cash option is a one-time, lump-sum payment that is equal to all the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.—
Tanya Wildt,
Freep.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Many are pulling six-day work weeks with mandatory overtime, and increasing numbers have begun calling out as the financial strain and exhaustion mount.—
JOSH FUNK,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The military is striking the boats at the same time the administration is applying increasing pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.—
NPR,
NPR,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The suspect was accelerating and weaving to try to shake the officer off.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Here, sea level rise is accelerating at some of the most extreme rates on Earth, while hurricanes increasingly are swirling ashore with an unprecedented ferociousness.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Avoid areas of ice with protruding debris like logs or brush.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Most often, she was seen with protruding, sculptural hair, abstract eye shadow, and vibrant lip colors, all in line with her aesthetic at the Mugler 1986 show.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
26 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The hold was strong enough to cause apparent bruises on her neck.—
CBS Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The Magic have also been without All-Defensive guard Jalen Suggs for 10 of the past 12 games first because of a left hip bruise and then a right knee MCL bruise.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Tensor frames the platform as a rolling data center, with autonomy as its core function rather than an add-on feature.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Those whose water supply comes from private wells and who are located within half a mile of the site of the spill are advised to distill or boil (at a rolling boil for at least one minute) all water for consumption.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His ability to handle all this now, the rising fame and the expectation to be the best, is because his dad taught him how to always find his center.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Even in states like Texas, which opted not to expand its Medicaid program and continued to rely on counties to care for many of its uninsured, rising health care costs are straining local budgets.—
KFF Health News,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The concept is expanding into practice in the state as a solution to regional food distribution challenges.—
Cristina LaRue,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Future work will focus on integrating snow-deposition modeling with PV yield simulations to more accurately predict energy losses and on expanding analyses to more complex, uneven alpine terrain.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swelling. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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