balloon

verb

Definition of balloonnext
1
as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the number of students who stay home sick balloons every winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to protrude
to extend outward beyond a usual point the paper bag ballooned and blew away as the wind lifted it skyward

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of balloon And that uncertainty has ballooned into a crisis of its own, which has only intensified after a rapid series of announcements from the Food and Drug Administration. — Allie Canal, NBC news, 24 July 2026 Property values increased by 60% in Miami-Dade in the half decade since 2019, and property taxes ballooned by almost 50% over the same period, according to real estate analytics firm Cotality. — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026 The price tag has since ballooned to over $14 million, and more than two weeks after Independence Day, the pool is empty and fenced off from the public. — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 22 July 2026 More than 1 in 17 new California home loans are being written using the state’s insurer of last resort — the California FAIR Plan, which has ballooned in growth in recent years. — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for balloon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balloon
  1. increase
  2. protrude
  3. rise
  4. poke
  5. swell
  6. bulge
  7. accelerate
  8. expand
Verb
  • The airport says arrivals to Denver are also delayed an average of 15 minutes and increasing due to the weather.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Earlier this year, Republicans had hoped to campaign on falling rates and a bipartisan bill to increase home construction to help defend their House and Senate majorities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • In several looks, the hips protruded impressively outward, but the silhouette appeared more subtle and somewhat suitable for everyday wear in the label’s delicate camisole tops.
    — Kelly Niesen, Glamour, 24 July 2026
  • While Kali’s protruding tongue is sometimes interpreted as a gesture of embarrassment or shame, the Rolling Stones’ logo reimagines it as a symbol of protest and antiestablishment sentiment.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 July 2026
Definition of protrude
Verb
  • As tensions rise with the Sacramento County Office of Education, Sacramento City Unified is pressing ahead with a new fiscal sustainability plan aimed at avoiding insolvency and preserving local control.
    — Chaewon Chung July 30, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
  • Ajanel is now a rising junior at Dalton State College pursuing a career in nursing.
    — Nila Roper, AJC.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • The family dog, named by local media as Rocky, was found alive after one of the rescuers spotted his tail poking out of the rubble.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
  • While viral videos poke fun, territorial scrums over scarce Costco spots can turn ugly, and sometimes violent.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • As passengers chanted the incantation together, white light flashed through the carriage, and music swelled from the speakers.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • Wasp activity starts to ramp up in late summer and fall as colony sizes swell.
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 29 July 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • Okegbe recommends immediately discarding any can that’s bulging, leaking, heavily rusted, or dented.
    — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 26 July 2026
  • An aneurysm is a weakened or bulging artery wall, and coiling is a procedure used to block blood flow to the aneurysm, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Definition of bulge
Verb
  • While PennDOT already has created over 30 wildlife crossings, the establishment of the new cohesive group of state agency stakeholders is likely to accelerate building the safe animal passageways and reverse the high collision rate with motorists.
    — Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Campbell said some people use BPC-157 in combination with another peptide known as TB-500 to accelerate healing.
    — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Definition of accelerate
Verb
  • In the mid-1960s, the festival expanded from an intimate get-together among church members to a cultural exchange for the greater Sacramento community.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • San Gregorio State Beach is now roughly twice its size after expanding into the formerly private ranch, San Gregorio Ranch.
    — Sooji Nam, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of expand

Browse Nearby Words

ball of wax
balloon
ballooned
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balloon. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on balloon

Nglish: Translation of balloon for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about balloon

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