bellies 1 of 2

Definition of belliesnext
plural of belly
1
as in stomachs
an enlarged or bulging abdomen worked hard to get rid of his belly in time to attend his class reunion

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2
as in abdomens
the part of the body between the chest and the pelvis a baby with a round little belly

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3
as in hearts
the seat of one's deepest thoughts and emotions in my belly I knew that he wasn't telling the truth, as the details of his story just didn't add up

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bellies

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of belly

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 bellies
Noun
About 13% of air cargo goes through the Middle East, either on cargo planes or in the bellies of commercial airliners. Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 4 Mar. 2026 Some stayed standing, while others got in shoulder-deep or even dropped to their bellies. Adam Harrington, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026 Particularly caring mice dads will groom their pups and even insulate them with their bellies against inclement weather. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Feb. 2026 Tito’s vodka over the yellow bellies. Andrew Callahan, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026 More food competitions in February and March This isn’t the only competition meant to keep bars and bellies full. Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 26 Jan. 2026 Giving them playtime on their bellies can help, as can burping them more frequently during feedings. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026 With almost no international flights entering or leaving Venezuela, many families had to make alternate arrangements for Christmas this year, living rooms and bellies much emptier than anticipated. Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026 Pairs of multibar angelfish, with their zebra-like stripes and bright yellow bellies, darted across a field of silvery staghorn coral. Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellies
Noun
  • In keeping with their moral compass, Just Creamery only uses vegetable rennet, not animal rennet which must be harvested from calves’ stomachs.
    Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Although the restaurant has served a wide variety of dishes over the years, none have captured locals' hearts and stomachs like Workingman's Friend's enormous, nap-inducing double cheeseburgers.
    Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Starting in 2013 more than a hundred thousand women received calls about the urgent need to have surgically implanted pelvic mesh removed from their lower abdomens.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
  • The stingers they are equipped with can be up to about a quarter-inch (6 mm) in length and inject a painful venom – which is stored in large quantities in their abdomens – into their victims.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Later, the Moon enters Sagittarius, inspiring us to open our minds and hearts.
    Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
  • An average of 31 million people tuned in weekly at its ratings peak in 2006 to hear Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee belt their hearts out in a battle for the title.
    Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The lone camera is a single round lens that protrudes from the upper-left corner of the rear panel.
    Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The other two types are subserosal (which protrudes on the outside of the uterus) and intramural (which grow within the muscle layer).
    Beth Krietsch, SELF, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Miraculously, the line of people that usually snakes down Melrose yearning for a slice of chef Karla Subero Pittol’s passion lime fruit icebox pie is nonexistent today.
    Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
  • In southwest Russia, where the border with eastern Ukraine snakes down to the Sea of Azov, lies the city of Rostov-on-Don, which serves as the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District.
    Sophie Spiegelberger, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • At issue is the Save Our Bacon Act, a sneak attack backed by foreign corporations currently hidden deep inside the farm bill.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Over recent years, Illinois has seen a flock of corporations flee to more tax-friendly locations, which means shrinking tax collections and fewer employees to contribute to the income- tax pool.
    Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In a floating fortress of 2,000 souls, suspicion spreads and a murder investigation turns into a global security crisis.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
  • This is literally a song about stealing people’s souls.
    Charlie Harding, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a brain aneurysm is a weakened area in an artery that bulges outward and fills with blood.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bellies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellies. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

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