as in swollen
enlarged beyond normal from internal pressure
her eyelid was so puffed she couldn't see with that eye
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in gasped
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty
he came running up the stairs puffing and wheezing
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in applauded
to praise too much
a talk show host who can be counted on to puff up the celebrities who readily consent to be interviewed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 puffed
Molly Baz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
Bake, 1 baking sheet at a time, in preheated oven until slightly puffed and golden brown, about 12 minutes.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
Bake until puffed and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Feb. 2026
The restaurant serves both traditional pancakes and a German-style pancake baked until puffed and golden, a menu item that has helped set it apart over the decades.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
The look featured a hood and a puffed silhouette.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Mar. 2026
Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook, checking occasionally and adjusting heat if boiling too rapidly, until balls are puffed and light in color, 30–40 minutes.
—Molly Baz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
Top-wise, besides corsetry, retailers will no doubt zero in on silhouettes that float and drape on the body, with Isabella-esque puffed sleeves or Cathy-leaning off-the-shoulder necklines.
—Alice Cary, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2026
There are corsets, puffed sleeves and little old timey trinkets that speak of her and co-star Jacob Elordi’s bond.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Bake until puffed and golden brown, 11 to 15 minutes.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2026
Loosely cover using plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place (75°F) until puffed and nearly doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
Accentuating her features with her signature brown smoky eyeshadow, matte mauve lipstick, and a pink flush on her cheekbones, Kylie puffed on a cigarette and gazed into the camera’s lens as the shot faded to black.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
Joey McGuire pulled Morton toward him and whispered something to his quarterback, who then puffed his chest and went forward with the postgame conference.
—Ty Kaplan, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer, checking occasionally to make sure water isn’t boiling too rapidly, until matzo balls are very puffed and light in color, 30–40 minutes.
—Molly Baz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
Bake, 1 baking sheet at a time, in preheated oven until slightly puffed and golden brown, about 12 minutes.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
Bake until puffed and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Feb. 2026
The restaurant serves both traditional pancakes and a German-style pancake baked until puffed and golden, a menu item that has helped set it apart over the decades.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
The look featured a hood and a puffed silhouette.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
When a stray kitten arrived at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter in early March, her tiny body was puffed up like a balloon.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Mar. 2026
Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook, checking occasionally and adjusting heat if boiling too rapidly, until balls are puffed and light in color, 30–40 minutes.
—Molly Baz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
Top-wise, besides corsetry, retailers will no doubt zero in on silhouettes that float and drape on the body, with Isabella-esque puffed sleeves or Cathy-leaning off-the-shoulder necklines.
—Alice Cary, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2026
There are corsets, puffed sleeves and little old timey trinkets that speak of her and co-star Jacob Elordi’s bond.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Bake until puffed and golden brown, 11 to 15 minutes.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2026
Loosely cover using plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place (75°F) until puffed and nearly doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
Accentuating her features with her signature brown smoky eyeshadow, matte mauve lipstick, and a pink flush on her cheekbones, Kylie puffed on a cigarette and gazed into the camera’s lens as the shot faded to black.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
Joey McGuire pulled Morton toward him and whispered something to his quarterback, who then puffed his chest and went forward with the postgame conference.
—Ty Kaplan, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffed
Adjective
-
The next morning, doctors noted that his tongue had become swollen, DHS said.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Mpox symptoms include a sometimes painful, blistery rash on various parts of the body, fever, chills, exhaustion, muscle aches, headache, swollen lymph nodes and respiratory symptoms, according to the CDC.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Her brothers and sisters all gasped.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The View's audience gasped at the observation, which Haines strongly countered.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lutz has applauded Miller’s hiring; the coaches plan to have lunch this week.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Schumacher applauded the work Pederson has been putting in, saying the results haven’t matched the effort, but the Rangers will need that to change in the regular season.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On one of the machines a Cluely employee panted and huffed in the dark.—
Sam Kriss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Davidson, a 6-foot-1 freshman, stroked a perfect shot from the right side to send the Trojans (18-13) into a second-round matchup with top seed South Carolina on Monday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
One contestant in a Travis Kelce butt cut leaped over an ironing board; another held a tape measure to his crotch and stroked it.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the remainder of her remarks, Takaichi congratulated the United States on its 250th anniversary and said Japan will gift Washington, DC, an additional 250 cherry trees.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Everyone congratulated her, from security guards to Uber drivers to waitresses.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tehran praised its attack as a show of strength, even as Israel's military asserts that Iranian missile launches have decreased since the war began.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The shows were widely praised for their cinematic scale, live instrumentation, and the palpable sense of reverence from fans who had grown alongside the music.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kirsch is to be commended for making a leap that few ever do.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Several board members commended the speakers and noted that the students were eloquent in their speeches.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffed. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
