as in lump
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue
the swelling at the site of the insect bite was not too concerning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in surging
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in increasing
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
the club membership has really swelled in recent months
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accelerating
to make greater in size, amount, or number
more layoffs will swell the ranks of the unemployed to unprecedented levels
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in protruding
to extend outward beyond a usual point
at that point the Congo River swells and forms Malebo Pool
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of swelling
ABC News, 12 June 2026
The origin of that swelling is not entirely clear.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Another effective anti-swelling remedy is a delicious snack that may be hiding in the fridge.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Oct. 2025
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 12 June 2026
The production carried a sense of scale, swelling with orchestral weight and emotional lift, framing the tournament as something larger than sport.
—Desjah Altvater, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for swelling
Noun
Roberts said the swelling is in the back of the knee.
—ABC News, 12 June 2026
The origin of that swelling is not entirely clear.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Adjective
The hope was this would mean less swelling, less pain and, potentially, a significantly faster recovery.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Another effective anti-swelling remedy is a delicious snack that may be hiding in the fridge.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
The White House said swelling around the ankles was due to chronic venous insufficiency or CVI, which occurs when leg veins fail to send blood back to the heart properly, and the bruising on the back of his hand was caused by frequent handshaking and aspirin.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 12 June 2026
The production carried a sense of scale, swelling with orchestral weight and emotional lift, framing the tournament as something larger than sport.
—Desjah Altvater, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for swelling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swelling
Noun
-
One is debt settlement, which involves negotiating with the creditor or debt collector on a lump-sum settlement amount that's less than the full amount owed.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
The most common symptom of male breast cancer is a hard, painless lump located directly behind or near the nipple, according to experts.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Their shows are driven by a physicality both intricately choreographed and fizzily chaotic, tightness and looseness alternating — even somehow overlapping — in a rolling series of lazzi and dances, fistfights and slapstick routines.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
14 June 2026
-
Later this year, Rio will once again offer its Cash Rebate Grant, a rolling program with a $3 million budget to support audiovisual productions.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
In the study, which analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health collected between 2021 and 2024, researchers say that despite numerous state-level bans on kratom across the nation, its use is at an all-time high and is increasing.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
These whales face increasing threats from climate change and human activity.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Australia is accelerating efforts to protect frontline troops from the growing threat of small drones, awarding a contract to defense technology firm OpenWorks under the Australian Defence Force’s Land 156 counter-drone program.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
-
ReelShort is accelerating its Southeast Asia expansion with a new strategic partnership with Philippine telecommunications giant Globe, even as founder and CEO Joey Jia says the future of the company extends far beyond microdramas.—
Lin Ying-Hsuan,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Features such as surface roughness and protruding fibers create more sites where particles can stick to the outer surface rather than passing through.—
Sumit Mandal,
The Conversation,
9 June 2026
-
Elsewhere on the trophy, there are the original rules to soccer, from 1863, which include a proscription on players having nails, iron plates, or gutta-percha—a Malaysian rubberlike material, now used in root canals—protruding from their boots.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Lucy had cuts and bruises to her head, face, arms, legs and back, Fintan Garavan testified.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
-
Police said the child had bruises all over his face and body.—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Condos have been hit hard by rising costs associated with ownership, such as HOA dues and homeowners insurance.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
The West Coast is also bracing for rising temperatures, with highs climbing to 10 to 25 degrees above normal this weekend.—
Christine Rapp,
NBC news,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Layne’s group has pushed county leaders to fund a continuous drug addiction treatment program, expanding access for those who need it both during and after incarceration.—
Gavin J. Quinton,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Episode 2 continues that methodology, pairing globally influential artists with scientific inquiry, while expanding the scope of both the artistry and the research.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swelling. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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