bellies 1 of 2

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
Their bellies tend to be whiter than the other species. Ken Perrotte, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026 While Formula 1 can fly its grid around the world in the bellies of air transporters, the outsized, awkward dimensions of a foiling catamaran hull make aviation a non-starter. Andrew Rice, New York Times, 27 May 2026 All sleek lines of Range Rover perfection, shining like it's been buffed by the soft bellies of kittens. ABC News, 26 May 2026 Their easy, hedonic seductiveness emerges, too, via Yuskavage’s lush, rounded, fleshy brushstrokes (a different sort of stroke material, for the patriarchy or for anyone else), which render everything from boobs to bellies to nipples smooth and swollen, like a succulent fruit fixing to burst. Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 23 May 2026 Terminus always made sure their arrival came just after nightfall when the streetlights were lit and families were sitting back with full bellies bumping against their dinner tables, houses quiet; all conversation having already been spent between forkfuls of food and hearty swallows of drink. Literary Hub, 20 May 2026 Brew bellies, however, may abound. Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 15 May 2026 The best laughs — loud, distinctive, recognizable — come from soft bellies. Erin Entrada Kelly, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026 These sweet, tangy, and saucy little bites have long held a special place in our hearts—and bellies. Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellies
Noun
  • Though gone from the stomachs of people in the industrialized world, the bacteria has been detected among tribes in Africa and South America, Sarhan said.
    CBS News, CBS News, 3 June 2026
  • At the end of Friday’s preliminary competition, Hernandez and five other high jump contenders sprawled on their stomachs beneath the high jump tent, cheering on West Ranch junior Avery Prestridge and La Jolla junior Anastasia Volkov in a jump-off for the final qualifying spot.
    Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 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
  • General Daily Insight for June 15, 2026 Fresh sparks greet steady hearts and invite open doors.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2026
  • Minimalistic nail art like tiny red hearts is the perfect addition to strawberry milk nails.
    Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 15 June 2026
Verb
  • These are more likely to cause painless rectal bleeding or tissue that protrudes during a bowel movement.
    Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Part of it protrudes from the exterior, with natural airflow helping keep the food inside chilled.
    Adam Williams March 29, New Atlas, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • When a Knicks game lets out at the Garden or concertgoers from the Meadowlands pour out of Penn Station, crowds pack the Tick Tock’s orange-and-green banquettes and the line snakes out the door.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
  • The River Caqueta snakes nearly 1,800 miles into the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Noun
  • Bringing corporations to the table One of the proposal’s principle architects said advocates for the tax increase had faced long odds from the start.
    Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
  • Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, told commissioners there are three corporations looking to bid on the same property, and the county does not want to be seen as competing with them instead of luring them to South Florida.
    Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2026
Noun
  • Whatever conclusions investigators might reach, the loss of at least 50 souls, and the wounding of dozens more innocents, is an unbearable blow for any community.
    Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
  • Boeing’s earlier jets—the 707, 727, and 737—carried fewer than 200 souls.
    Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 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 20 Jun. 2026.

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