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• v  exaggerate or make bigger
  The charges were inflated
• v  fill with gas or air
  inflate a balloons
• v  cause prices to rise by increasing the available currency or credit
  The war inflated the economy
• v  increase the amount or availability of, creating a rise in value
  inflate the currency
• v  become inflated

• The programming czar at Scripps Networks, which owns HGTV and other lifestyle channels, helped inflate the real estate bubble by teaching viewers how to extract value from their .
• That's about 90 people finding love every day, a track record bound to inflate expectations.
• That's about 90 people finding love every day, a track record bound to inflate expectations.

• blow up
• expand
• amplify
• balloon
• billow

• deflate

News & Articles

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• More easy money’s on the way
  The big story yesterday was supposed to be Ben Bernanke’s signal to the markets about future Fed policy — whether he’ll scale it back, or just go on printing money to keep interest rates super-low and inflate the economy. But that’s basically a false drama, fueled largely by...
  June 20, 2013 - New York Post
• Senators Find Money in ... Helium?
  What can you do with helium other than inflate balloons? If you're the Senate, apparently you can fund rural schools and the cleanup of old oil wells.
  June 19, 2013 - CQ Politics
• Dirty Spuds? Alleged Potato Cartel Accused Of Price Fixing
  A civil lawsuit that shifted into U.S. district court in Idaho last week alleges that the United Potato Growers of America has become a veritable OPEC of spuds. The group is accused of using high-tech, strong-arm tactics to inflate potato prices.
  June 19, 2013 - NPR

Quotes

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• John McCain in International Herald Tribune
  My opponent doesn't want to drill. He doesn't want nuclear power. He wants you to inflate your tires,McCain said of Obama, who suggested the fuel-saving tip last week.
• Barack Obama in Wall Street Journal
  Mr. Obama said in a statement the amendment "would carve out a special exemption for these lenders that would allow them to inflate rates, insert hidden fees into the fine print of paperwork, and include expensive add-ons that catch purchasers by...
• Neelie Kroes in Times Online
  She said: "Multilateral interchange fee agreements such as MasterCard's inflate the cost of card acceptance by retailers. Consumers foot the bill, as they risk paying twice for payment cards: once through annual fees to their bank and a second time...