1
as in stomachs
an enlarged or bulging abdomen
worked hard to get rid of his belly in time to attend his class reunion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in abdomens
the part of the body between the chest and the pelvis
a baby with a round little belly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in protrudes
to extend outward beyond a usual point
the sails slowly bellied as the wind picked up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 bellies
Dolores Brown,
Outdoor Life,
17 June 2026
After blinding Polyphemus, the men flee by clinging to the bellies of his monstrous sheep.
—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
12 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
Noun
Every day, the snow crept farther down the mountains, and as the horses waded the creeks, ice froze on their tails and bellies.
—
Dolores Brown,
Outdoor Life,
17 June 2026
After blinding Polyphemus, the men flee by clinging to the bellies of his monstrous sheep.
—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
12 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellies
Noun
-
The animals are using their stomachs to predict which teams will win World Cup matches.
-
At the time, Soros, along with the financiers Julian Robertson and Michael Steinhardt, defined the public image of hedge-fund managers as investment wizards who made fortunes through huge bets, contrarian calls, iron stomachs, and a willingness to operate close to—or over—the regulatory line.
Noun
-
Dragonflies are generally larger and hold their wings horizontally at rest, while the slender damselflies fold their wings over their abdomens.
-
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.
Noun
-
Their coupling instantly captured the attention and hearts of fans around the world, and Swift’s presence at Chiefs games was even credited with bolstering female interest in NFL football.
-
According to People, Swift and Kelce's donations are going to nonprofits located in New York, California, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Rhode Island—places close to the couple's hearts.
Verb
-
These are more likely to cause painless rectal bleeding or tissue that protrudes during a bowel movement.
-
Part of it protrudes from the exterior, with natural airflow helping keep the food inside chilled.
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.
-
The River Caqueta snakes nearly 1,800 miles into the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
Noun
-
Most states have laws requiring that doctors own medical practices, not corporations.
-
For the corporations, there are much higher margins on food and gift sales than on gasoline.
Noun
-
Nowhere has Hollywood left its mark quite like this desert town of 6,000 souls on the banks of the Rio Grande.
-
Spiritual progress requires fighting against the natural downward inclination of our souls—though fighting, oddly, is also the problem.
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.
Cite this Entry
“Bellies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellies. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
