1
as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
the number of students who stay home sick balloons every winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to protrude
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
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Recent Examples of balloon
Yet the number of drugs in the pipeline (including pre-clinical ones) has ballooned to 23,875 in 2024, from 9,737 in 2010, while the number of companies actively involved in drug development has tripled, to 6,823 from 2,207.
—
Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Despite hiccups, including an accounting fraud scandal, and $475 million in losses last year as the company poured hundreds of millions of dollars into coffee beans, store rent and other costs, Luckin's profit margins have rapidly ballooned.
—Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 30 June 2025
Wells Fargo’s position has ballooned in our portfolio.
—Kevin Stankiewicz,morgan Chittum, CNBC, 25 June 2025
The length children spend in federal custody has ballooned because undocumented relatives and sponsors are hesitant to take them in, service providers told the Herald.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Despite hiccups, including an accounting fraud scandal, and $475 million in losses last year as the company poured hundreds of millions of dollars into coffee beans, store rent and other costs, Luckin's profit margins have rapidly ballooned.
—Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 30 June 2025
Wells Fargo’s position has ballooned in our portfolio.
—Kevin Stankiewicz,morgan Chittum, CNBC, 25 June 2025
The length children spend in federal custody has ballooned because undocumented relatives and sponsors are hesitant to take them in, service providers told the Herald.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balloon
Verb
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Over the past year or so, those activities have increased.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 July 2025
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In a LinkedIn post, Farley called for speeding up permitting processes, increasing spending on vocational training, leveraging robotics and augmented reality to help with these spaces and suggested an AmeriCorps-type program for these roles.—
Breana Noble,
Boston Herald,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Nearby, police found another pitbull, Lucky, in a wet kennel that was bound shut with five leashes, her hip bones protruding.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
3 July 2025
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Their feet protrude, white and enormous, from their grey-green uniforms like tree-branches from which the bark has been stripped.—
Thomas Meaney,
New Yorker,
2 July 2025
Verb
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The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 July 2025
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Office completions in 2024 fell to their lowest share of inventory since 2012 and are set to slow further, reflecting high vacancy rates, rising debt and construction costs, and falling office values.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
Verb
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The hard foul came after Sheldon poked Clark in the eye in the third quarter.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
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The couple began dating in 2023 and frequently poke fun at each other on their social media pages.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
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After the game, there seemed to be bruising and swelling around it.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
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The camp is located on the Guadalupe River, where heavy rain swelled two of the river’s forks, city manager Rice said at a news conference Friday.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
5 July 2025
Verb
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Even as dome construction bulged on the Italian peninsula from the eleventh to fifteen centuries, Romans held off on joining the building bandwagon until the late 1400s.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
12 June 2025
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In every photo, Tater's eyes bulged with what can only be described as pure joy.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 2025
Verb
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Whether through the Deloitte Global FoF framework or others, leaders can benefit from taking a structured approach to investing in smart operations and to accelerating the convergence of IT and OT.—
John England,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
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Flooding that started slow was quickly accelerating.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Mari said the strike has now expanded to include Teamsters in California and Washington state, and that upwards of 4,000 union members are now in the midst of a work stoppage.—
Matthew Medsger,
Boston Herald,
14 July 2025
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Although the company is actively adapting—expanding into energy storage, changing billing models, and tweaking its supply chain—investors continue to be concerned about the pace and effectiveness of these strategic adjustments.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balloon. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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