puff out

phrasal verb

puffed out; puffing out; puffs out
: to make (something) larger and rounder by filling it with air
She puffed her cheeks out and blew out the candles.
A gust of wind puffed out the boat's sails.

Examples of puff out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
This fall, a 16-foot-tall pigeon — its chest puffed out proudly, head high, not down pecking at some errant pizza crust, its pitiless red-eye gaze looking out over the traffic — will alight on the spur of the High Line that bridges Tenth Avenue at 30th Street. Carl Swanson, Curbed, 31 July 2024 There’s no live bugler with their cheeks puffed out each morning. Christopher Spata, Orlando Sentinel, 4 July 2024 Leather pieces were puffed out; one was paired with a long leather fishtail skirt that could be ready for the Emmy’s red carpet. Merle Ginsberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 June 2024 In the case of wild turkeys, males in breeding plumage puff out their feathers—appearing almost round—and fan their tails in a flashy display. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 June 2024 When startled, the lizard will open its mouth and puff out its beard to appear larger. Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2024 When Fauci testified about the threats to his family, Fellows was sitting behind him puffing out his bottom lip to mock the threats against a doctor. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 11 June 2024 Its towering smokestacks once puffed out clouds of steam. Maria Varenikova Nicole Tung, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024 Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano, puffed out a string of near-perfect rings over the weekend — prompting comparisons to smoke rings, or a fleet of giant flying saucers floating gently into the blue sky. Leo Sands, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024

Dictionary Entries Near puff out

Cite this Entry

“Puff out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puff%20out. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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