had been inflating

• past perfect progressive

  past perfect progressive

  Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.

  of inflate.
  inflate

  verb (used with object)

  to distend; swell or puff out; dilate.

Related Words

• augment
• bloat
• boost
• enlarge
• escalate
• exaggerate
• expand
• magnify
• maximize
• overestimate
• pad
• widen