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Definitions

inflate

[in-fleyt] / ɪnˈfleɪt /
VERB
blow up, increase
Synonyms
STRONGEST
augment bloat boost enlarge escalate exaggerate expand magnify maximize overestimate pad widen
STRONG
aerate aggrandize amplify balloon cram dilate distend exalt pyramid raise spread stretch surcharge
WEAK
beef up build up flesh out puff up pump up swell up
Antonyms
STRONGEST
abridge decrease diminish lessen lower play down reduce shrink weaken
STRONG
compress contract debase depress
WEAK
deflate let air out

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The researchers say this interaction could partly inflate the estimated genetic influence of IQ, potentially by as much as 15 percentage points.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

Asked to sum up their concerns, one told us: "It just felt like the community was pushed to the side and it shifted into a commercial venture to inflate the egos of those in charge."

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Earlier this year, Yann LeCun, previously Meta’s chief AI scientist, claimed that benchmark results for Llama 4 had been manipulated to inflate the model’s perceived performance against competitors.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Many homes “inappropriately diagnosed residents with schizophrenia to mask the nursing homes’ misuse of antipsychotic drugs and to artificially inflate their star ratings,” it adds.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Please do not inflate it while you are still inside the aircraft.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds

Vocabulary lists containing inflate

Lesson 3

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