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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 French people aren’t feeling economically confident, partly due to recent political uncertainty and partly because consumer prices are still inflated. —Byalex Ledsom, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2025 Current models suggest the universe is expanding evenly in all directions—much like a balloon being inflated—but it was not believed that the universe itself was rotating. —Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025 But these detailed listings have been plagued with data errors, which have inflated the group’s savings by billions. —David A. Fahrenthold, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025 On the other hand, actual deals could be scarce if prices are inflated due to newfound demand. —Charles Singh, USA Today, 12 Apr. 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
  • The price of buying a foreign car could increase by anywhere between $5,000 to $15,000, Goldman Sachs estimates.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 1 Apr. 2025
  • These tariffs directly increase costs for producers, particularly in the construction of drilling rigs and pipelines.
    — Steven Dudash, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Definition of increase
Verb
  • The improved coding and long-context capabilities could accelerate software development cycles, enabling developers to tackle more complex problems, analyze legacy code more effectively, or generate code documentation and tests more efficiently.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • This process can accelerate movement toward extreme issue-position groups and identities.
    — Jen Cole Wright, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of accelerate
Verb
  • At the same time, these updates raise questions about the Oscars broadcast itself.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
  • There’s also a charity component, with the team raising funds for local students involved in fish restoration efforts.
    — Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of raise
Verb
  • That’s the plan at the 49ers’ facility where workers are tearing out the lone artificial surface field in preparation of expanding the team’s grass practice fields.
    — Matt Barrows, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
  • In 2024, the league took concrete steps in that direction, expanding the number of international roster spots from five per team to seven.
    — Asli Pelit, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of expand
Verb
  • Single-family housing starts rose 11.4 percent in February, the highest rate in a year, but are primarily happening in just one part of the country.
    — Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The country’s Kospi stock index rose 0.56% after the announcement, while the won weakened 0.58% to trade at 1,422 against the dollar.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of rise
Verb
  • Now, with the help of AI, that figure could balloon considerably.
    — Quora, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
  • And after the news of the pause hit investors, the stock market ballooned, hitting highs after several days of trepidation over tariffs.
    — Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of balloon
Verb
  • Before the pandemic, Jackson County Public Health had about 30 employees, but swelled to about 120 during the crisis.
    — Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The agency hopes the undertaking will accommodate population swells on Fort Worth’s western outskirts.
    — Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of swell
Verb
  • The pup’s abdomen was firm and distended.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2025
  • The Most Exciting New Advances in Managing COPD With another strategy, diaphragmatic breathing, patients concentrate on distending their abdomen while taking in air.
    — Matt Fuchs, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024
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 22 Apr. 2025.

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