inflate
verb (used with object)
to distend; swell or puff out; dilate.
had inflated
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past perfectof inflate.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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 more than £900m by which the independent commission found the club had "inflated" its accounts was not all spent on transfer fees.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
One thread that Peters pulled on was whether Mullin had inflated his background.
From Slate ● Mar. 18, 2026
Howell and his worker, then based in Palm Beach, Fla., had inflated their clients’ write-offs and fabricated expenses for years, prosecutors alleged in the indictment.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 27, 2026
But in 2023, a year after the transaction closed, H.I.G. sued Audax, alleging the firm had inflated the company’s revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
Davis’s testimony carried with it the unstated accusation that Burnham and Baker had inflated the amount of money needed to complete the fair.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
