as in to close
to come near or nearer
belly up to the buffet table and help yourselves
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 belly up
For the best seat in the house, request the chef's table that bellies up to the kitchen.
—
Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 16 Jan. 2026
Go in a smallish group, belly up to the bar to put your name in, then order a strong drink if there's a wait.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Dec. 2025
Wilding eventually rebranded a taproom in the River North Art District with the Great Divide name, so Denverites can still belly up without traveling to the suburbs.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
Wu compared the current state of the industry to the internet era before the dot-com bubble, when a host of firms went belly up but the technology reoriented the economy and established corporate giants.
—ABC News, 22 Nov. 2025
Knott’s Scary Farm visitors who belly up to the bar at the Calico Saloon can shout requests to a ghost pianist who plays everything from Ragtime masterpieces to summery pop hits by Katy Perry during the annual Halloween seasonal event.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
The hilarious clip, shared on Monday under the username @caragamblee, shows the pup sleeping on the bed with his belly up and his paws stretched out, all while resting his head on the pillow.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
In 1998, hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management was bailed out after its highly leveraged bets on bond arbitrage went belly up after the Russian debt default.
—Alex Pron, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Now, belly up to USA TODAY's Bars of the Year with Mackensy Lunsford.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 30 July 2025
Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 16 Jan. 2026
Go in a smallish group, belly up to the bar to put your name in, then order a strong drink if there's a wait.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Dec. 2025
Wilding eventually rebranded a taproom in the River North Art District with the Great Divide name, so Denverites can still belly up without traveling to the suburbs.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
Wu compared the current state of the industry to the internet era before the dot-com bubble, when a host of firms went belly up but the technology reoriented the economy and established corporate giants.
—ABC News, 22 Nov. 2025
Knott’s Scary Farm visitors who belly up to the bar at the Calico Saloon can shout requests to a ghost pianist who plays everything from Ragtime masterpieces to summery pop hits by Katy Perry during the annual Halloween seasonal event.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
The hilarious clip, shared on Monday under the username @caragamblee, shows the pup sleeping on the bed with his belly up and his paws stretched out, all while resting his head on the pillow.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
In 1998, hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management was bailed out after its highly leveraged bets on bond arbitrage went belly up after the Russian debt default.
—Alex Pron, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Now, belly up to USA TODAY's Bars of the Year with Mackensy Lunsford.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 30 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belly up
Verb
-
The return of his body closed a painful chapter for the country and cleared the way for the next and more challenging phase of the ceasefire, which calls for deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas, pulling back Israeli soldiers and rebuilding Gaza.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
-
China had closed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic and only reopened them in earnest in early 2023.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Security footage of the incident showed Richardson approaching Coleman from out of the frame and appears to grab his backpack from behind.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The strongest winds are expected near the coast, where gusts could approach hurricane force, or 75 miles per hour, along parts of the North Carolina and Virginia shoreline by Saturday night.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Kim Jee-woon’s A Bittersweet Life (2005) drew on the cool aesthetics of Jean-Pierre Melville’s gangster films while examining specifically Korean concepts of loyalty and social hierarchy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Born in Beirut in 1980, Atoui draws on his extensive research into music history, instrumentation, and production to create multisensory environments that reimagine our relationship to sound.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The big moment comes amid the HBO Max drama's breakout success and after the pair was photographed out together several times on Globes weekend.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The killings came amid a wave of bloody violence tied to drug trafficking and organized crime, which has surged across Ecuador in recent years.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Now, the league’s most incredible one-year turnaround is nearing a conclusion.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
As of now, the coldest morning looks to be Friday, with air temperatures nearing double digits below zero amid light winds and slightly clearer skies.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the first half, the defensive activity and competitive spirit were far better against the league’s best team, a night after Miami came up woefully short in both of those areas against the league’s worst team.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Good and truth will hopefully come up and show its face and win.—
Benjamin VanHoose,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belly up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belly%20up. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
