BALLOONED Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

ballooned 1 of 2

adjective

as in expanded

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

ballooned

2 of 2

verb

past tense of balloon

as in increased

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in protruded

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 ballooned

Verb

The 18 dates announced at the start of last week has now ballooned to 26, and stretches into November 2027, with additional shows locked in for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026 Unsurprisingly, this has ballooned into a national story with teammates and opponents staging protests. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Shoppers hoping for a respite from rising inflation were again disappointed in September, as prices ballooned again, far overshooting the Federal Reserve’s target rate. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026 County made a trio of 3-pointers in the second half as the lead ballooned to as many as 24 points with about four and a half minutes to play. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 13 Oct. 2026 But the 2026 El Niño, accelerated by climate change, has ballooned into the largest on record, causing intense heat waves, floods and droughts throughout the world. — Luke Parker, Baltimore Sun, 12 Oct. 2026 The Frow Is the Show For many brands, the front row has ballooned in size, importance, or both, with return on invite closely monitored. — Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026 Over the summer, the waitlist for shelter ballooned to more than 200 families. — Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 9 Oct. 2026 The film eventually ballooned to six hours before Gibney began whittling it back. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballooned

Adjective

Its symptoms can be more widespread—the whole calf or ankle might become swollen and painful, Moll says.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Bites appear similar to those from mosquitoes and can appear swollen and itchy, with symptoms getting worse if the person is allergic to bedbugs.

— Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of swollen

Verb

She's increased the amount of people in the league office which has helped the overall growth of the WNBA.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Containment on the Bryson fire, which has scorched 147 acres near Encinal Canyon Road since igniting on Thursday, increased to 52% Saturday morning.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of increased

Verb

The semiaquatic predator’s eyes would have also protruded from the skull, similar to the Indian gharial, because the eye sockets were raised like a telescope, Burke added.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
The stranger’s hollow cheeks, his dark eyes, whose lashes always appeared wet, the bony shoulders that protruded from the singlet Chee Meng had lent him—all of it frightened Shawn.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of protruded

Verb

Global manufacturers increased their purchases of components and raw materials in September as demand swelled.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
In extremely short order, the Belgian designer filled them and more, cresting the wave of growth that swelled across luxury between 2016 and 2023 (via the Covid slump).

— Luke Leitch, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of swelled

Verb

His family, like many Lebanese Jews, left as anti-Jewish sentiment rose after the 1967 war between Israel and Arab countries.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Then mines started to close and unemployment rose, and its owner, an elderly Italian named Netta Cavalli, was beaten in her shop and died soon after.

— Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of rose

Browse Nearby Words

balloon

ballooned

ballooning

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ballooned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballooned. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ballooned

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes