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
  • La Familia members typically bang drums and sing their hearts out from opening to closing whistle but decided to stay quiet and brought no flags or instruments to the stadium.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026
  • Friendship inevitably blooms, and when Sidney leaves the scene (and Norton the series) at the end of Season 4, many hearts (including Geordie’s) are broken.
    Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 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
  • The River Caqueta snakes nearly 1,800 miles into the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 May 2026
  • The plaster, cave-like living room (complete with a cozy fireplace) served as a backdrop for trivia night; the ice-cold creek, which snakes along the five-acre property, was our personal swimming spot to chase off the heat of the day.
    Aemilia Madden, Vogue, 27 May 2026
Noun
  • Brand ownership has spent the better part of a century flowing in one direction, away from founders, toward the corporations with the capital to grow them.
    Sam Birchall, Fortune, 10 June 2026
  • Citizens United, the Supreme Court ruling in 2010 that granted corporations legal personhood, opened the flood gates for corporations and unions to contribute unlimited funds to candidates and their causes.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 June 2026
Noun
  • Her fans, many sporting sheer red gloves, cat ears and varying levels of undress, were eager to be sated and reacted as if their souls were being saved within seconds of the start of each of the 23 songs Grande performed.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 June 2026
  • That unity was on display in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday as thousands, dressed in purple, came together at the Prince sing-along and block party, and sang from their souls.
    Reg Chapman, CBS News, 7 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 11 Jun. 2026.

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