puffed 1 of 2

adjective

as in swollen
enlarged beyond normal from internal pressure her eyelid was so puffed she couldn't see with that eye

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

puffed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of puff
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

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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
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, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
Bake in preheated oven, rotating pans from top to bottom halfway through, until danishes are puffed and deep golden brown, 12-15 minutes. — Torie Cox, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026 Bake pâte à choux side by side until golden brown and puffed, 32–35 minutes. — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Aug. 2026 The silk taffeta dress was specially woven and dyed ivory and featured a ruffled collar, puffed sleeves, voluminous skirt and, perhaps most notably, a dramatic 25-foot train and 153-yard tulle veil. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026 Bake until cakes are golden and puffed and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. — Martha Stewart, 27 July 2026 Sleeves continue to dominate the trend cycle, and blouses with balloon or puffed sleeves go particularly well with granny jeans. — René Chávez Esparza, Glamour, 17 July 2026 Featuring a delicate lace trim, a V-neckline, buttons up the front, and lightly puffed sleeves, this top is beyond gorgeous. — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2026 Meanwhile in Boston, England huffed and puffed but could not blow Ghana away. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 24 June 2026 Place puffed corn in a large 17x12x2-inch roasting pan. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffed
  1. swollen
  2. gasped
  3. applauded
  4. panted
  5. stroked
  6. congratulated
  7. praised
  8. commended
Adjective
  • The annual monsoon season frequently triggers flooding in Assam, where swollen rivers inundate large areas and displace thousands of residents each year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The department urged residents to seek medical care immediately if a wound exposed to brackish or salt water becomes red, swollen, painful, warm or discolored, and to tell their health care provider about the water exposure.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of swollen
Verb
  • Those in the crowd held their breath—and audibly gasped—as the opening to season three unfolded onscreen.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 30 July 2026
  • As Rushdie was being introduced, his attacker climbed on stage behind him, then stabbed him 15 times as the audience gasped.
    — Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of gasped
Verb
  • Commencement speakers are getting booed offstage for mentioning it, even as breakthroughs in medicine and service delivery are applauded elsewhere.
    — Brett White, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Reaction to the law Some law enforcement leaders have applauded the new buffer zone law.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of applauded
Verb
  • Pet owners spoke reassuringly to their dogs, who panted and pawed their owners, and to their mewing cats.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026
  • On one of the machines a Cluely employee panted and huffed in the dark.
    — Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Definition of panted
Verb
  • Afterwards, as Cheogyal puts it, the spiritual leader stroked his head with compassion.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • But Argentina’s talisman stroked it wide of the net.
    — David Hickey, NBC news, 23 June 2026
Definition of stroked
Verb
  • Walter put a take-it-or-leave-it bid on the table so high — hundreds of millions above where the other bidders had been in the process — that former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt called off the auction and congratulated Walter.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The former Vanderpump star says no one from her former Bravo family has congratulated her on House of Stassi’s success, except for Tom Schwartz.
    — McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of congratulated
Verb
  • The statement urged cities to cooperate with ICE and praised the work of immigration officers.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Fermin praised the unidentified good Samaritan who intervened.
    — Abby Dodge, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of praised
Verb
  • Chambers commended the officers who were in the area and responded quickly.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Hemingway commended Salinger, then a twenty-five-year-old staff sergeant, on his short stories, and the two conversed for hours.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of commended

Browse Nearby Words

puff adders
puffed
puffed (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Puffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffed. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of puffed for Spanish Speakers

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