Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb puff_up

4 senses of puff up

Sense 1
puff up -- (make larger or distend; "The estimates were puffed up")
       => inflate, blow up, expand, amplify -- (exaggerate or make bigger; "The charges were inflated")

Sense 2
puff, puff up, blow up, puff out -- (to swell or cause to enlarge, "Her faced puffed up from the drugs"; "puffed out chests")
       => swell, swell up, intumesce, tumefy, tumesce -- (expand abnormally; "The bellies of the starving children are swelling")

Sense 3
swell, puff up -- (become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger; "The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son")
       => act, behave, do -- (behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people")

Sense 4
puff, puff up -- (praise extravagantly; "The critics puffed up this Broadway production")
       => praise -- (express approval of; "The parents praised their children for their academic performance")