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
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
as in surging
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of swelling
Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Pain, swelling and a change in color at the site or all the way up the limb are among the common symptoms of a snake bite.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Deborah Fuller, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Just a contusion, but there is some swelling in there for sure but not a big deal.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swelling
Verb
For every 1,000 measles cases, there are between 1 and 3 deaths from breathing complications or brain swelling.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Pain, swelling and a change in color at the site or all the way up the limb are among the common symptoms of a snake bite.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Early reports flagged a type of heart swelling called myocarditis as a rare side effect of the mRNA vaccine, particularly for young men ages 18 to 25 after a booster dose.
—Deborah Fuller, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Just a contusion, but there is some swelling in there for sure but not a big deal.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swelling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swelling
Noun
-
Lush lumps of rock crab arrived in a flying saucer made of ice and covered with kohlrabi shaved thin as a layer of frost.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
-
In particular, the bacon bits were chilled and all stuck together in one big, congealed lump along the inside of the bowl.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
By inserting an extra biochemical cycle into a model plant, the researchers boosted growth, seed yield, and fat production without increasing water demand.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
-
An increasing number of boys are lonely, isolated and confused, wrestling with the aftermath of the #MeToo movement and the expectations of rigid masculinity, which has been widely characterized as toxic.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Global interest in the technology is accelerating as Italy has approved a demo line between Venice and Padua.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Access to these solutions will enable Komatsu to optimize safety and energy efficiency, while increasing overall productivity, accelerating product development, and enabling large-scale decarbonization.—
Richard Bishop,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Sharks are often imagined cruising just beneath the waves, dorsal fin protruding from the dark, ocean waters to alert people of their incoming doom.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
-
Eventually, the villager spotted something unexpected—the nearly complete cranium of an unknown, ancient hominin protruding from a small chamber’s interior wall.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Pasamanick — who said she was disappointed nobody intervened or tried to help during the attack — was left with bites and bruises on her leg, while Sparky also had bite marks, per WESH 2 and WLBT.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
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Her words reopened a wound that’s always been there, like bruises after a football game that appear a day later, said Nwagbaraocha, the district staff member.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Both the governor and the secretary listed a combination of lower market prices for farm products plus rising fertilizer, machinery and labor costs as a severe squeeze on the farm economy.—
Cristina LaRue,
Arkansas Online,
16 Sep. 2025
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China’s economy showed further signs of weakness last month, with key data Monday revealing factory output and consumption rising at their weakest pace for around a year.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Now the Icon Class family is expanding, with three equally hefty sister ships.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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An artisan pizzeria with South Beach roots is expanding across the state.—
Jason Dill,
Miami Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In 2009, Tropicana replaced its familiar logo, an orange with a straw poking out, with a minimalist design featuring a glass of orange juice.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Routh allegedly came within a few hundred yards of Trump before a Secret Service agent spotted his rifle poking out of a tree line.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swelling. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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