as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
the personal essay accompanying his college application was devoid of the inflation and self-aggrandizement that all too often is found in such writings
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Recent Examples of inflation
Millions of Iranians are grappling with rampant inflation and a plummeting currency and everyday items and medicine have become unaffordable for many.
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Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
The analysts, who raised their price target to $206 from $195 and kept their buy rating, said consumers getting tax breaks and inflation coming down should help.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026
Remarkably, the central bank has cut its inflation forecast, pointing to something of a Goldilocks period in which growth is not accompanied by significant price rises.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The lower prices on the dairy staples are good news for shoppers, who have been struggling with rising grocery prices amid inflation and tariff increases.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inflation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflation
Noun
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Now, though levees may not exactly be back, royal affectations and the disputes that go with them are.—
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That’s probably an affectation.—
Noun
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Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach take turns transforming into floating marketplaces — docks converted to catwalks, hulls polished to reflective arrogance, sales reps who can quote fuel burn like yacht owners care about costs.—
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College football is awash in problems, including the Big Ten’s unrivaled arrogance, and its never-ending list of demands that would make Notre Dame blush.—
Noun
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This week’s truncating of the schedule removed whatever pretense remained that Kennedy’s HHS would respect the scientific process for making decisions about vaccines even when that process was dominated by allies who had already taken action to roll back recommendations.—
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But gone are the days when those books were displayed to show off the intellect and interests of their owners — and with it, the pretense, at least, that their owners had read them.—
Noun
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His pretensions—riding around in a grand coach and continuing the weekly levees—as well as his administration’s notorious effort to enforce deference in the 1798 Sedition Act, fell flat.—
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But the soul of the city lies in the West Kowloon Cultural District, where the M+ museum offers art without velvet-rope pretension.—
Noun
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Posing on top of an antique vanity and inside a wooden cabinet, Bieber cycled through a parade of sheer lace, see-through mesh, and strappy designs in shades of red, black, pink, and cream.—
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Store liquids—such as lotion, makeup, perfumes, and skincare—on a tray to protect your vanity table or bathroom cabinet.—
Cite this Entry
“Inflation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflation. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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