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to fill something with air or gas, typically to increase its size or pressure
She inflated the balloon for the party.
She filled the balloon with air to make it larger.
The company inflated the prices during the holiday season.
The company increased the prices of goods during the holiday season.
Can also be used metaphorically to describe increasing something abstract, such as prices or expectations.
to increase in size, number, or importance
The scandal inflated the politician's problems.
The scandal made the politician's problems seem more significant.
Often used in a negative context to describe something becoming exaggerated or overblown.
Remember that 'inflate' can refer to both physical inflation (like a balloon) and abstract inflation (like prices or expectations).
'Inflate' is often used with 'balloon', 'tires', 'prices', and 'expectations'.
From Latin 'inflāre', meaning 'to blow into' or 'to puff up'.
The verb 'inflate' can be both literal (filling with air) and figurative (increasing in size or importance). In financial contexts, it often refers to increasing prices or economic values.