The Clue
Ballooned (7 letter answer)
The Answer
SWELLED
Tags
Notes
The answer SWELLED is so rare that it appears less than once every 2500 puzzles.
Definition
SWELL as a verb:
1. increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity; "The music swelled to a crescendo"
2. (swell, puff up) = become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger; "The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son"
3. (swell, swell up, intumesce, tumefy, tumesce) = expand abnormally; "The bellies of the starving children are swelling"
4. (well up, swell) = come up (as of feelings and thoughts, or other ephemeral things); "Strong emotions welled up"; "Smoke swelled from it"
5. (well, swell) = come up, as of a liquid; "Tears well in her eyes"; "the currents well up"
6. cause to become swollen; "The water swells the wood"
SWELLED as an adjective:
1. (big, swelled, vainglorious) = feeling self-importance; "too big for his britches"; "had a swelled head"; "he was swelled with pride"