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
Emma Flint, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2025
Once per act, a second duo crashes in on Didi and Gogo, providing the tramps’ power balance with a lurid, distended foil.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
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
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
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
In the last 20 days, their belly will appear distended, and their nipples and breast tissue will be noticeably swollen.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
Adjective
The distended episodes were littered with what feels like filler, little of which offered much in the way of narrative value.
—Emma Flint, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2025
Once per act, a second duo crashes in on Didi and Gogo, providing the tramps’ power balance with a lurid, distended foil.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
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
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
Verb
The fragile skeleton of her ego threatened to snap under the pressure of the animal forces that pressed down on her consciousness, her narrative mind sagging and distended beneath pitiless and grandiose feeling.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
In the last 20 days, their belly will appear distended, and their nipples and breast tissue will be noticeably swollen.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distended
Adjective
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Our own Metropolitan Museum displays a copy of that swollen right-hand — cast in bronze for Saint-Gaudens in the 1880s.—
Harold Holzer,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
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His face was also red and swollen.—
Erika Stanish,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Haynam’s lawsuit came as scrutiny of Kersten’s leadership swelled in the wake of the Dexter Reed shooting in March 2024.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
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The scandal swelled after British media reported a trove of emails between Mandelson and Epstein, in which the veteran Labour politician expressed support for his friend, despite the financier’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The enhanced subsidies, which expanded eligibility both by lowering the percentage of household income people had to pay toward their care and removing an income cap, expired at the end of last year.—
Julie Appleby,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
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Russia has been seen modernizing its nuclear facilities, and in recent years, China has expanded its main test site by digging new tunnels.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The phrase has been tagged in more than 550,000 posts on Instagram, while on TikTok the number of videos with the #curatedvintage hashtag increased by 50% in the past year.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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According to the complaint, the companies and their subsidiaries repeatedly increased EpiPen prices and paid pharmacy benefit managers to keep rival products off the market, which violates the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, the Indiana Antitrust Act and the Medicaid False Claims Act.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The mandatory safety air bag inflated under her racing suit during the crash, supplier Dainese confirmed to The AP.—
Andrew Dampf,
Denver Post,
8 Feb. 2026
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There’s an argument that with lower grossing movies like Send Help and Iron Lung presently on tracking, most forecasts are inflated.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jamian’s contribution, enlarged, also hangs as a banner outside.—
Emma Allen,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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That explains why bus drivers don’t have enlarged hippocampi.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distended. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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