inflate

verb

Definition of inflatenext
1
as in to increase
to make greater in size, amount, or number Check that you have inflated your tires to the recommended pressure. Some sellers were inflating their prices by as much as 500 per cent.

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in to accelerate
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number Airbags are designed to inflate automatically on impact.

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Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb inflate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of inflate are amplify, dilate, distend, expand, and swell. While all these words mean "to increase in size or volume," inflate implies expanding by introduction of air or something insubstantial and suggests a vulnerability to sudden collapse.

an inflated ego

When is amplify a more appropriate choice than inflate?

While in some cases nearly identical to inflate, amplify implies the extension or enlargement of something inadequate.

amplify the statement with details

When is it sensible to use dilate instead of inflate?

The meanings of dilate and inflate largely overlap; however, dilate applies especially to expansion of circumference.

dilated pupils

Where would distend be a reasonable alternative to inflate?

Although the words distend and inflate have much in common, distend implies outward extension caused by pressure from within.

a distended abdomen

When might expand be a better fit than inflate?

The synonyms expand and inflate are sometimes interchangeable, but expand may apply regardless of the manner of increase (such as growth, unfolding, addition of parts).

a business that expands every year

When could swell be used to replace inflate?

The words swell and inflate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, swell implies gradual expansion beyond a thing's original or normal limits.

the bureaucracy swelled to unmanageable proportions

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 inflate The lawsuit claims RealPage, controlling over 80% of the rental market, uses data from competing landlords to artificially inflate rental prices. —Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 10 July 2025 Trump wouldn't be the first president to inflate or embellish economic activity on his watch. —Jarrett Renshaw, USA Today, 8 July 2025 Why Markets Haven’t Priced In Mortgage Defaults Markets are still fixated on tech earnings, inflated AI valuations, and the idea of a soft landing. —Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025 Those teams simply inflated the low-major leagues that compete for a single bid every year. —Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for inflate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflate
  1. increase
  2. accelerate
  3. raise
  4. expand
  5. rise
  6. balloon
  7. swell
  8. distend
Verb
  • Decades of research and studies in agriculture have increased production across all crops in the U.S., said James, and cannabis can adopt those same technologies.
    — Julie Weed, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
  • The International Energy Agency projects electric vehicles will increase grid demand by 40-60% in high-adoption regions like ours.
    — Mark McNees, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2025
Definition of increase
Verb
  • With complete control of its destiny, the WSL has accelerated its growth, becoming one of the premier women’s leagues in the world, alongside the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the U.S. and Spain’s Liga F.
    — Vitas Carosella, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Yesterday’s release of the consumer expenditure deflator shows that inflation is uncomfortably high and accelerating.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 1 Aug. 2025
Definition of accelerate
Verb
  • Funds for the Parkland Library reopening came from a mix of allocations in the city budget, federal American Rescue Plan funds and donations raised through the Library Foundation.
    — Keely Doll, The Courier-Journal, 29 July 2025
  • The case raised major questions about the line between freedom of expression and privacy, and what is actually newsworthy.
    — Vanessa Romo, NPR, 28 July 2025
Definition of raise
Verb
  • Once a colony forms, more ants will follow and the colony will start to expand.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 26 July 2025
  • The 8000 was born after the engineers at GE Aerospace reconfigured the Passport’s software and McCullough’s team expanded the fuel capacity in the wings.
    — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 26 July 2025
Definition of expand
Verb
  • Sales rose 7% in the second quarter compared with Q2 2024 and 12% in 2025’s first half.
    — Jackie Charniga, Freep.com, 23 July 2025
  • Those are the three names president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski mentioned as rising to the occasion in the bullpen when asked earlier on Monday.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 22 July 2025
Definition of rise
Verb
  • Registration fees for Stars tournaments have similarly ballooned.
    — Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025
  • The rotation’s collective ERA for the month ballooned to over 7.00.
    — Katie Woo, New York Times, 31 July 2025
Definition of balloon
Verb
  • This leads to swelling and a build-up of fluids in the area, which can cause cloudy vision and other changes.
    — Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 30 July 2025
  • The body also produces less albumin - a protein that helps maintain fluid balance - leading to swelling in the legs and abdomen.
    — Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 29 July 2025
Definition of swell
Verb
  • The effect is to both collapse and distend time until all the souls in the book, most of them nameless anyway, exist at the same time, in the same place, forever.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Isaiah was also malnourished and dehydrated at the time of his death, with his small and large intestines markedly distended.
    — Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2017
Definition of distend

Browse Nearby Words

inflammatory
inflate
inflated
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Cite this Entry

“Inflate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflate. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

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