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
Scott Simon, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
After 57 days in the hospital that included rehabilitation and the left half of her skull being removed to treat the swelling in her brain, Sophia Forchas was escorted through the streets of the city, a video posted by Mayor Jacob Frey on social media Thursday showed.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 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
Then the same soothing voice that advises you to see a doctor for a prescription cautions the medication might also lead you to develop symptoms of myelosuppression, psoriatic arthritis and abdominal swelling.
—Scott Simon, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
After 57 days in the hospital that included rehabilitation and the left half of her skull being removed to treat the swelling in her brain, Sophia Forchas was escorted through the streets of the city, a video posted by Mayor Jacob Frey on social media Thursday showed.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 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
-
While many people might rush to see a doctor after such a discovery, Farrington put it off, telling herself that the lump would disappear naturally.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
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,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
-
Dark energy was introduced as a placeholder force to explain this accelerating expansion.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The expansion rate of the universe may be slowing down, rather than accelerating at an ever-growing rate, a potentially groundbreaking new study has hinted.—
Ian Randall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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To add to the hilarity, one of the dachshunds appeared to have chewed through a couch cushion and somehow gotten stuck inside it, with its head and legs filmed protruding through the torn fabric.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The early word was that the protruding pair was a customized version of Adidas Adistar Cushion 3 sneakers made specifically for Williams.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Jones victory comes amid a political landscape that has shifted regarding cancel culture and the intensity and lasting effects of political bruises.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Watch Adcock show off his post-fall bruise below.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
If that feature catches on, companies will just be makers of rolling shells for tech companies.—
Patrick George,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Produced by Hoogendyk — a passionate advocate for emerging comics — and booked via open and rolling submissions, the program expanded in early 2025, adding one yearly showcase in Los Angeles in the spring, in addition to the Brooklyn show in the fall.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
There are trade-offs, of course—rising Obamacare premiums will harm people, too.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Both consultants estimated that inflation in Caracas is currently running between 20% and 30% a month and is destined to keep rising as long as the bolivar depreciation continues.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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
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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 12 Nov. 2025.
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