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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in to accelerate
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
Airbags are designed to inflate automatically on impact.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
This is widely recognized to have inflated the numbers.
—
Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
In October 2025, Tyson Foods separately agreed to pay $85 million to settle a consumer class action accusing the meat manufacturer of conspiring with rivals to inflate pork prices, Reuters reported.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
In some cases, Uber alleged, Khounganian inflated the bills by as much as 640%.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
The team suspected that something else about Neanderthal’s diet was inflating Neanderthal’s nitrogen-15 values.
—Jay Kakade
december 31, New Atlas, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflate
Verb
-
The committee approved Lucas’s amendment and approved the recommendation to increase funding for the temporary jail.—
-
Iwobi’s movement drags Ladislav Krejci wider, increasing the space between the lines and creating a clear passing angle for Calvin Bassey.—
Verb
-
The race to commercialize perovskite technology has accelerated rapidly in recent years.—
-
The transfer portal, which opened Friday, allows programs to accelerate the rebuilding process and replace departing players — more than 20 in Florida’s case.—
Verb
-
Wanda Sykes made sure that comedian Ricky Gervais — a comedian whose past material raised eyebrows and allegations of transphobia — shared his big 2026 Golden Globes night with a higher power and the transgender community.—
-
One of them, fist raised to the sky, let out a long yell, the hoarse shout of a gold panner.—
Verb
-
Flywing also plans to expand the competitive side of the platform.—
-
Neutrality allowed the nation to build strength, expand westward, and avoid the ideological contagions sweeping the continent.—
Verb
-
There were 107 homicides in Kansas City in 2012, and while that number dipped to as low as 82 homicides in 2014, the number of homicides continued to rise until a peak in 2023 at 182 homicides.—
-
Tensions rise when Nora, a stage actress, rejects Gustav's offer to star in his comeback film and is forced to confront her feelings toward her estranged father.—
Verb
-
But the longstanding regime’s grasp on power now appears more tenuous than ever as the swelling opposition movement demands substantive change.—
-
Tensions mount in Minneapolis Hundreds of people took to the streets of Minneapolis to protest within hours of Good’s death and demonstrations have continued to swell in the ensuing days.—
Verb
-
That’s why the team turned to look into how these insects transition between jumping, flapping, and gliding.—
-
The new season of Prime Video's high-octane thriller jumps eight years ahead of the explosive Season 1 finale with Pine running a quiet surveillance unit in London under the alias Alex Goodwin, a low-level MI6 officer.—
Verb
-
Rainwater tends to accumulate at the road edges.—
-
Higher elevations from West Virginia through the border of North Carolina and Tennessee can expect accumulating snow.—
Cite this Entry
“Inflate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflate. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share