inflated; inflating
1
: to swell or distend with air or gas
2
: to puff up : elate
inflate one's ego
3
: to expand or increase abnormally or imprudently
: to become inflated
Examples of inflate in a Sentence
We used a pump to inflate the raft.
Economists warn that rapid economic growth could inflate prices.
Increased competition has inflated salaries among professional athletes.
Rapid economic growth may cause prices to inflate.
Recent Examples on the Web
The primary objectives of wash trading include artificially inflating trading volume, creating a false impression of market activity and potentially manipulating the price of a security.
—
Jack Kelly, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Imagine mastodon-like creatures whose noses are wind instruments that inflate the structures and emit sound.
—Sonaiya Kelley, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
But the Jazz answered with six consecutive points, a run that quickly inflated in the second quarter.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 2 Nov. 2024
This makes the 2024 polls conform to 2020’s turnout—and, in practice, inflates Trump’s support.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inflate 
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Jack Kelly, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Imagine mastodon-like creatures whose noses are wind instruments that inflate the structures and emit sound.
—Sonaiya Kelley, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
But the Jazz answered with six consecutive points, a run that quickly inflated in the second quarter.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 2 Nov. 2024
This makes the 2024 polls conform to 2020’s turnout—and, in practice, inflates Trump’s support.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inflate
Dictionary Entries Near inflate
Cite this Entry
“Inflate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inflate
verb
in·flate
in-ˈflāt 
inflated; inflating
1
: to swell or fill with air or gas
inflate a balloon
2
: to increase abnormally
inflated prices
inflatable
adjective
-ə-bəl
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