1
as in increasing
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.
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2
as in accelerating
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
Airbags are designed to inflate automatically on impact.
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Recent Examples of inflating
That is propaganda, not just pushed by the groups who agitated for this specific war but also sewn by the massive war machine in DC that’s spent decades inflating threats to justify its continued existence.
—
Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
The former employee said the rapper systematically underpaid him, committing tax fraud in the process by inflating his wages in reports to the IRS.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
She is also accused of falsely inflating business expenses and charitable contributions to reduce her tax liability.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
By inflating microplastic counts in this size range, using laboratory gloves may jeopardize the studies that inform future policies and regulations.
—Anne McNeil, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
The city was sued in December by a watchdog group that alleges the city has been inflating the assessed value and taxes of commercial properties that file abatements, a practice the group has slammed as retaliatory and unlawful.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Perhaps dreaming of warmer weather, multiple House lawmakers were seen at their desks Wednesday inflating beach balls patterned with the Iowa state flag.
—Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register, 19 Mar. 2026
Both sides accused the other of inflating the opponent’s casualty numbers.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
The process comes down to connecting six aluminum frame sections, inflating the hull with a manual or electric pump, attaching the rudder and centerboard, and rigging the sail.
—Omar Kardoudi
march 13, New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2026
Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
The former employee said the rapper systematically underpaid him, committing tax fraud in the process by inflating his wages in reports to the IRS.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
She is also accused of falsely inflating business expenses and charitable contributions to reduce her tax liability.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
By inflating microplastic counts in this size range, using laboratory gloves may jeopardize the studies that inform future policies and regulations.
—Anne McNeil, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
The city was sued in December by a watchdog group that alleges the city has been inflating the assessed value and taxes of commercial properties that file abatements, a practice the group has slammed as retaliatory and unlawful.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Perhaps dreaming of warmer weather, multiple House lawmakers were seen at their desks Wednesday inflating beach balls patterned with the Iowa state flag.
—Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register, 19 Mar. 2026
Both sides accused the other of inflating the opponent’s casualty numbers.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
The process comes down to connecting six aluminum frame sections, inflating the hull with a manual or electric pump, attaching the rudder and centerboard, and rigging the sail.
—Omar Kardoudi
march 13, New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflating
Verb
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The film is set in a mountain village where an elderly woman named Hettie (Hettie Farmer) lives alone on a small farm, tending her flock of goats with increasing difficulty.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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New York City Councilwoman Farah Louis is under increasing scrutiny amid a federal public corruption investigation involving the state’s homeless shelters for migrants.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Similarly to fossil fuel supply disruptions of the past, the Iran conflict is already accelerating interest in renewable energy, electric vehicles and energy independence.—
Brian Lee,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
-
These dynamics are accelerating structural change across the sector.—
Assef Shaikh,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the arc — first raising expectations for a big reveal, then declaring there was nothing to see, and ultimately a forced, flawed document dump — was a stubbornly problematic storyline that ran through her time as attorney general.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Despite recent rain and snow in Northern California, state water officials say the Sierra snowpack remains near historic lows, raising concerns about water availability during the hot summer months.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Major insulin makers Eli Lilly, Sanofi and Novo Nordisk also have moved to cut the cost of insulin, with different combinations of cutting list prices, capping out-of-pocket costs and expanding affordability.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
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The golden arches is expanding its McValue offerings with an under $3 menu and a $4 breakfast meal deal starting on April 21.—
Erin Clements,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tensions are rising nationally as the military operation in Iran continues and ICE officers appear in airports.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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Carr acknowledged the rising cost and sometimes inconvenient nature of sports streaming are frustrating fans, arguing the drawbacks ultimately outweigh the benefits.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Years later, in Austria’s Salzburg, a now late teen Wolfgang Mozart performs a piece which is one part period piano, another part glam rock with a swelling modern orchestra, a powerful Freddie Mercury-esque choir and Mozart slamming his piano.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
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The victim, a 31-year-old man, had visible facial injuries, including scrapes, lacerations and swelling, and injuries indicative of being dragged on pavement, police wrote.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, the economic slowdown in China and ballooning public debt in the United States are in part due to the two powers’ aging populations.—
John Rennie Short,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
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And it's been successful at keeping costs a little more predictable and not ballooning things out of control.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At one point, Fetzer’s friend is seen jumping onto a curb with his bike, apparently to avoid the vehicle.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
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There have been dueling proposals ever since, with some fighting to keep the Bears in Chicago proper, others fighting to help the stadium get built in Arlington Heights, and recently Northwest Indiana jumping into the fray, proposing sites for a new Bears stadium in Gary and Hammond.—
Marissa Perlman,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflating. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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