as in exaggerated
extended beyond normal or realistic bounds
he's been walking around with an inflated ego every since he got the promotion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in increased
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in accelerated
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
Airbags are designed to inflate automatically on impact.
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inflated
Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Given the remarkable radiation tolerance displayed by the molds discovered at Chernobyl, fungi might also provide radiation shielding — Maurer imagines growing thin layers of them inside the inflated buildings to shield the astronauts living within.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Finally, the Pontos' seat gets inflated and secured inside the cockpit.
—Ben Coxworth
march 25, New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inflated
Adjective
Those inflated bills are eating into families’ budgets at a time when gas, grocery and housing costs are high and threatening to climb further, limiting many Americans’ ability to save money and build wealth.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Given the remarkable radiation tolerance displayed by the molds discovered at Chernobyl, fungi might also provide radiation shielding — Maurer imagines growing thin layers of them inside the inflated buildings to shield the astronauts living within.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
Earlier this month, Bianco’s office seized over 1,000 boxes of ballots cast in the November 2025 special election after a local group claimed elections officials had inflated vote tallies, which Riverside County Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco denied.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Finally, the Pontos' seat gets inflated and secured inside the cockpit.
—Ben Coxworth
march 25, New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inflated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflated
Adjective
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That term encompasses exaggerated, subjective assertions of optimism that are not intended to be taken as factual, are too general to cause a reasonable investor to rely upon them and are not actionable in securities law.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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But reports of the death of old-fashioned books were greatly exaggerated.—
Matt Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Airport security lines increased, some stretching multiple hours in hubs such as Houston and Atlanta, as TSA officers called out and hundreds across the country quit.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
JetBlue increased the fees as airlines maneuver to cover their rising jet fuel costs, which have soared since the Iran war began.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The decline has accelerated sharply in recent weeks, with net approval dropping roughly 5 points over a short span.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Not everything should be accelerated equally.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The war in Iran and the ensuing collapse in traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has driven more cargo to Pakistani ports and effectively expanded their role in wider trade throughout South and Southeast Asia.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2026
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To help financially vulnerable property owners get through taxes, Bristol offers senior volunteer tax credits and senior circuit-breaker programs, and has expanded its veterans tax exemptions.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump has said private donors would foot the bill for the project, the price of which has ballooned from the original $200 million estimate.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
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OpenAI kickstarted the artificial intelligence boom with the launch of its ChatGPT chatbot in 2022, and the company has since ballooned into one of the fastest-growing commercial entities on the planet.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Formed in 1949, the alliance initially included 12 countries, but has swelled to 32 members.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
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But this winter, despite the thin and vanishing snowpack, the Black River swelled.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Boxing scenes in movies, other than in a handful of classics, tend to start to look all the same, a mishmash of beads of sweat and blood and jowels distended, all fists flying and battering as two men catapult and careen across the ring.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
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My stomach wasn't distended anymore.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Once North Carolina fired Hubert Davis after five seasons, Billy Donovan immediately rose to the top of the list of favorites to become the next head coach of the storied program.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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While consumers worldwide face steep price hikes, Brazilian gasoline prices rose just 5% in March — compared to 30% in the United States.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflated. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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