bulge

verb \ ˈbəlj also ˈbu̇lj \

|Updated on: 15 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: bulge in a Sentence

Definition of bulge

bulged; bulging

transitive verb

: to cause to bulge

intransitive verb

1 archaic : bilge

2 a : to jut out : swell

b : to bend outward

prevent the brick wall from bulging

c : to become swollen or protuberant

… a pair of arresting pale blue eyes that tend to bulge maniacally …
—Jeremy Egner

3 : to be filled to overflowing

a notebook that bulged with ideas

See bulge defined for English-language learners

See bulge defined for kids

Examples of bulge in a Sentence

His face turned white and his eyes bulged.
middle-aged people bulging at the waist
Their bags bulged with books and papers.
The squirrel's cheeks were bulging with nuts.
a notebook bulging with ideas

Recent Examples of bulge from the Web

Two years later, Gulbis had the same surgery to treat bulging discs and found better results.

— angel guerrero, sacbee, "Sacramento's Natalie Gulbis on LPGA comeback trail – and has a tee time with Steph Curry," 29 June 2018
Get Out, yes, but also Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, a wildly successful action-comedy that had audiences laughing at the spectacle of a timid white teen entering the body of bulging bad-ass Dwayne Johnson.

— gary thompson, Philly.com, "Art in melting pot America: What's appropriation and what's appropriate? New movies explore," 6 July 2018
And in 2014, as goal after agonizing Germany goal bulged the Brazil net in Belo Horizonte, the fans started to chant a graphic and crude insult at Dilma Rousseff, the unpopular former president.

— martin rogers, USA TODAY, "'Brazil's Donald Trump': World Cup fate impacts far-right presidential candidate," 6 July 2018
The Orioles gave Markakis a four-year, $40 million offer early in the offseason, but that deal came off the table when an MRI showed a bulging disk in his neck.

— eduardo a. encina, baltimoresun.com, "Former Orioles slugger Nelson Cruz showing he was worth the risk of a four-year deal," 26 June 2018
Nine-month old Galila, her ribs sharply outlined, her eyes bulging in shrunken sockets, sat in the lap of her mother, Aisha.

— Washington Post, "For Yemeni mothers, skipped meals and gnawing stomachs," 3 May 2018
Brown said the other day, in San Francisco, gesturing toward a photograph of footwear that bulged and puckered like a tea cozy.

— james b. stewart, The New Yorker, "When Your Shoes are Made of Wood Pulp," 14 Mar. 2018
Otherwise, Japanese companies could dodge domestic taxes by stashing money in New York or Berlin, knowing that bulging bank accounts in those cities would be immaterial to American and European tax collectors.

— david scharfenberg, BostonGlobe.com, "Trillions of dollars have sloshed into offshore tax havens. Here’s how to get it back," 20 Jan. 2018
Symptoms include irritability, muscle weakness, sleeping problems, a fast heartbeat, diarrhea and eye bulging.

— todd ackerman, San Antonio Express-News, "Former first lady Barbara Bush decides to forgo treatment," 15 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bulge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bulge

Middle English bolgen

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

bulge Synonyms

bulge

noun

Definition of bulge

1 a : bilge 1

the bulge of a barrel

b nautical : bilge 2

2 : a protuberant or swollen part or place

a bulge in the wall

trying to get rid of the bulge around his middle

3 : advantage, upper hand

letting them get the bulge on you

4 : sudden expansion

a population bulge

—

bulgy

play \ˈbəl-jē also ˈbu̇l-\ adjective

See bulge defined for English-language learners

Examples of bulge in a Sentence

“What's in there?” he asked, pointing to the large bulge in my purse.
I'm exercising to get rid of this bulge around my middle.

Recent Examples of bulge from the Web

In this condition, the large artery leaving the heart (aorta) develops a weak area that bulges and may burst.

— joe graedon, m.s., and teresa graedon, Houston Chronicle, "Natural approaches may ease white fingers of Raynaud’s," 17 June 2018
One poor dietary decision and your belly bloats and bulges.

— Philly.com, "4 efficient exercises for a slimmer waistline," 12 June 2018
This bulge can then swell and rupture as pressure builds, releasing blood around the brain.

— jason duaine hahn, PEOPLE.com, "Danny Farquhar, MLB Pitcher Who Suffered Aneurysm During Game, Says 'Doctors Call Me a Miracle'," 1 June 2018
Because the sea route squeezes through such a tight gap between Antarctica and South America, Clarke wonders if even the slight bulge could cause the path to run aground.

— david shultz, Science | AAAS, "This ocean path will take you on the longest straight-line journey on Earth," 30 Apr. 2018
According to the Weather Channel, the recent heat wave can be blamed on high pressure, which is a northward bulge of the jet stream.

— sarah brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati weather: Why is it so hot? Blame the heat dome," 5 July 2018
The villagers crowded around it, clamoring and crying and some making videos as a man knelt and carefully cut across the bulge with a machete.

— avi selk, Washington Post, "A woman went to check her corn — and was swallowed by a python," 16 June 2018
Bad news wasn’t such great news for the bulge bracket.

— aaron back, WSJ, "Big Banks Could Use More Excitement," 18 June 2018
The villagers crowded around it, clamoring and crying and some making videos as a man knelt and carefully cut across the bulge with a machete.

— avi selk, Anchorage Daily News, "A woman went to check her corn - and was swallowed by a python," 17 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of bulge

Middle English boulge, bouge leather bag, curved part, from Anglo-French bouge bag — more at budget

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1622

in the meaning defined at sense 1b

See Words from the same year

bulge Synonyms

Synonyms

advantage, better, catbird seat, drop, edge, high ground, inside track, jump, pull, stead, upper hand, vantage, whip hand;

Antonyms

disadvantage, drawback, handicap, liability, minus, penalty, strike;

Near Antonyms

detriment, stranglehold;

disparity, imbalance, inequality, unevenness;

disability, failing, impairment, shortcoming;

bar, catch, check, clog, crimp, embarrassment, hindrance, hitch, hurdle, impediment, interference, let, manacle, obstacle, obstruction, rub, shackle, stop, trammel;

lurch, setback;

ascendancy (also ascendency), command, dominance, mastery, predominance, superiority, supremacy, transcendence, transcendency;

precedence, preference, prerogative, privilege, seniority;

break, foothold, opportunity;

benefit, blessing, boon, felicity, godsend, manna, windfall;

Synonym Discussion of bulge

projection, protrusion, protuberance, bulge mean an extension beyond the normal line or surface. projection implies a jutting out especially at a sharp angle.