1
as in panting
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty
he came running up the stairs puffing and wheezing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in stroking
to praise too much
a talk show host who can be counted on to puff up the celebrities who readily consent to be interviewed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puffing
This method of deep fueling is more effective at raising the plasma’s core density compared to puffing gas from the vessel’s edge.
—
Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2025
And that’s stirred up more discussions about getting labia puffing or labiaplasty to deal with these effects.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
This is not about puffing up the self, but about joining with something big.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 6 Aug. 2025
Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2025
And that’s stirred up more discussions about getting labia puffing or labiaplasty to deal with these effects.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
This is not about puffing up the self, but about joining with something big.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffing
Verb
-
Howard’s best comedies have a light, almost effortless touch, but this one is panting and gasping essentially from the opening frames.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Officers responding to the scene found the dog panting heavily, with excessive drool coating the back seat.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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According to the pages labeled as court exhibits, Priscilla rushed to her daughter’s bedside and was holding her hand, stroking her face, and telling her she was loved as family members gathered.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
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No one wants to follow an ego-stroking social media account with zero content value.—
Peter Boyd,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The fears of my imagination, the possibility of losing a child due to one inattentive moment, all combined to leave me gasping for breath.—
Adam Verner
September 3,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Their difficult, high-flying act left the judges and live audience gasping.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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While Nadella and the executive team are taking criticism from some staffers, Wall Street is applauding the company's growth and execution.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
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Their powerful performances prompted a 15-minute standing ovation, and the wrestler-turned-actor was seen tearfully applauding.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In fact, constantly praising your Gen Z employees can become impractical and downright exhausting.—
Colleen Batchelder,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The museum was beloved by locals, who left online reviews praising the staff's work and their warm welcome.—
Yegor Mostovshikov,
The Dial,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Moments earlier, a video had played featuring many of her former teammates, San Diego FC head coach Mikey Varas, and her husband Servando Carrasco with their children, congratulating her on a storied career.—
Fernando Ramirez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Sep. 2025
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Please join me in congratulating Michael on his new role.—
TIME PR,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Create some suspense and anticipation by going in slowly, starting with the head and just massaging it slightly with the tip of your tongue.—
Ian Kumamoto,
Them.,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Certainly not once the front and rear heated seats and front massaging seats are powered on.—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Instead, Murphy drafted a resolution commending the students’ efforts and shared it with them.—
Teri Cadeau,
Twin Cities,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffing. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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