as in to protrude
to extend outward beyond a usual point
houses in the town commonly have second stories that beetle over the ground floors, and the overhang is known as a "bump"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of beetle
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
Black-and-yellow taxis beetled along Apollo Bunder, the road in front of the hotel.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2023
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, inhabitants of the Kalahari Desert have relied on the toxins harvested from beetle larvae.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beetle
Verb
The reason is that beetle infestations within storage areas cause the agricultural products to become inedible.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
Black-and-yellow taxis beetled along Apollo Bunder, the road in front of the hotel.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2023
Noun
The beetle, named for six gold spots that adorn its back, doesn’t fly far.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, inhabitants of the Kalahari Desert have relied on the toxins harvested from beetle larvae.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beetle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beetle
Verb
-
They’re typically installed above kitchen sinks and provide more light than standard windows, but their protruding design adds weight and insulation considerations.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Photos from the night Anthony died showed a protruding door hinge on Anthony's bathroom door, revealing the ligature risk remained.—
Carol Thompson,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The tool is a soft-hammer retoucher — a specialized tool used to sharpen dulled flint handaxes.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Jan. 2026
-
In the steel shell of a former dormitory and, more recently, nursing home, water collects in buckets as construction crews hammer and drill, saw and weld, and heavy machinery works to cover a series of underground water retention systems, consisting of huge pipes.—
Wheeler Cowperthwaite,
The Providence Journal,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Hadn’t poked my nose in anywhere, hadn’t seen anything, and just really enjoyed watching the film.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
And the Banchet’s executive director, Michael Muser, poked at food influencers, made fun of the rising popularity of alcohol-free wine and jabbed at some restaurants using AI for creating recipes.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
To achieve this, place the breasts, one at a time, in a resealable plastic bag or between two sheets of parchment, and gently pound them with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or potato masher until evenly flattened.—
John Becker,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Clapperless cowbells can come with a wooden mallet and are used as musical instruments.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The younger Pearl does not stalk the sideline drenched in sweat, veins bulging from his neck and spittle flying at every questionable call.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
-
If a can is bulging, swollen, rusted or badly dented, throw it out.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For instance, Jaime Cardona grows grapes, passionfruit, sugar cane and other crops with his nine-year-old daughter and wife in the town of Saipina, 25 kilometers east of the reserve.—
Brianna Randall,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Breeds commonly seen in Milwaukee – such as pit bull mixes, cane corsos and mastiffs – can’t tolerate more than 15 minutes in freezing weather.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Goggles ready, sledgehammer steady, go smash that TV!—
Will Barker,
TheWeek,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Chicago police are warning about a string of burglaries over four days last week where thieves used sledgehammers and crowbars to bust through glass front doors or windows of businesses across the city.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Down four points with 70 seconds to play, and facing fourth-and-1 on Jacksonville’s 11-yard line, Buffalo called for a Josh Allen quarterback sneak, the claw-and-maul play commonly known as the tush push.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The half ended with the Free Jacks once again putting the Sabercats under pressure, trying to force their way over the tryline through a rolling maul, and twice failing to score.—
Vitas Carosella,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beetle. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
