as in swollen
enlarged beyond normal from internal pressure
bees with abdomens distended with honey are less apt to sting
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in swelled
to make or become larger especially because of pressure from inside
The illness can cause the stomach to distend.
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distended
Kiana Murden, Vogue, 20 May 2025
Bloating causes your belly to feel full and look distended.
—Kathleen Felton, Health, 9 June 2024
Chemtrails draws you into a different speed, a distended sense of time and sound.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2021
But for all its brawn and atmosphere and robustly choreographed combat, this is a distended historical tapestry too sprawling to remain compelling, particularly when its focus veers away from the central couple.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Adjective
Following too much pasta or one too many sweet treats, my stomach gets quite sensitive—resulting in a feeling of tightness and a distended, rumbling tummy.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 20 May 2025
Bloating causes your belly to feel full and look distended.
—Kathleen Felton, Health, 9 June 2024
Chemtrails draws you into a different speed, a distended sense of time and sound.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2021
But for all its brawn and atmosphere and robustly choreographed combat, this is a distended historical tapestry too sprawling to remain compelling, particularly when its focus veers away from the central couple.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distended
Adjective
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Chagas disease symptoms include swollen eyelids, fever, diarrhea and loss of appetite.—
Greta Cross,
Freep.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Frazier could not see clearly, and his entire head seemed swollen, and Ali kept landing punches.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As guests swelled outside the dining room, Chow and Osbourne led the lively room in a toast to New York and invitation to continue on to the comedy show.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
13 Sep. 2025
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South Korea’s top diplomat then rushed to Washington to negotiate their release, while public fury swelled back home over what many see as a slap in the face from their longtime ally.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The waiver program, which was expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce in-person interviews, will now be limited to a narrow set of categories.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
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In 2008, that expanded into menswear, where ripped jeans and tough leather blousons became a signature.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Reportedly, the use of the RT-70 radio antenna increased the accuracy of GLONASS by around 30%.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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The trade and investment element of state visits has increased in recent times.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Understanding that a hot exo-atmosphere would be large and inflated in size, and that graphite would absorb practically all of the starlight impacting that atmosphere if there were a high-altitude layer of it, represents a fascinating scenario for explaining the features of these planets.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
10 Sep. 2025
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Keeping tires properly inflated not only extends their life but also squeezes more miles out of every charge—a win for the wallet and the planet.—
Melanie Marshall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Adama enlarged the infrared feed from an overhead surveillance drone, revealing a pair of Jet Skis racing across the Dnieper from the Russian side.—
Ken Harbaugh,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
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Traditional prints are being enlarged to create bold, graphic statements and a gallery-like presence.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distended. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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