as in to close
to come near or nearer
belly up to the buffet table and help yourselves
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Recent Examples of belly up
The new place has a bar to belly up to, a beat-up car for families and kids to play in and pose for the 'Gram and TikTok, and colorful neon signs.
—
Charlie D'agata, CBS News, 10 June 2026
But when the primary local industry went belly up, so did the town.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2026
The private patio space off of the living room bellies up to the beach, where two sunbeds and an umbrella are set up for sunset happy hours.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 24 Feb. 2026
Once called ''the funniest woman on TV,'' Catherine O'Hara spends much of her time these days bellying up against a snooker table at the Squeeze Club, a Toronto juice bar and pool hall.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Across the river, Le Crocodile at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn brings a stylish, approachable scene for bellying up and indulging in sexy French cuisine.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
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
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
Charlie D'agata, CBS News, 10 June 2026
But when the primary local industry went belly up, so did the town.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2026
The private patio space off of the living room bellies up to the beach, where two sunbeds and an umbrella are set up for sunset happy hours.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 24 Feb. 2026
Once called ''the funniest woman on TV,'' Catherine O'Hara spends much of her time these days bellying up against a snooker table at the Squeeze Club, a Toronto juice bar and pool hall.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Across the river, Le Crocodile at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn brings a stylish, approachable scene for bellying up and indulging in sexy French cuisine.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belly up
Verb
-
Iranian military forces stopped a tanker from transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced would be closed yesterday, according to the semiofficial Tasnim news agency.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
All westbound lanes of Interstate Highway 30 are closed at Montgomery Street in Fort Worth due to an accident, officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety said.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
With the Fourth of July approaching, officials are urging pet owners to take extra precautions.—
Jasmine Arenas,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Do not approach water, wet objects, or metal items.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Adapted from le Carré’s global bestseller, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and drawing on material from his 2017 novel A Legacy of Spies, the eight-part drama is written by Stephen Cornwell and Clarissa Ingram.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2026
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The piece — which Ono has staged more than 250 times in 35-plus countries — draws on a Japanese tradition at Buddhist temples that invites visitors to scribble their hopes and dreams onto paper tags and tie them to the branches of a tree.—
Deborah Vankin,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
In his almost but not quite valedictory acceptance speech, the 80-year-old Lithgow acknowledged that this Tony win, his third, comes 53 years after his first — and feels every bit as satisfying.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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The attack comes amid heightened security around Madison Square Garden, which lies directly above the busy intercity railroad station, where the New York Knicks are hosting the San Antonio Spurs for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Wednesday.—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Apple stock has neared record highs in recent weeks as investors and analysts approved of a Google AI partnership announced in January and the latest iPhones have shown strong, continuing sales momentum.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
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And San Antonio led by 7-4 Victor Wembanyama, who at 22 is the freaky-tall potential next face of the league as LeBron James finally nears retirement.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Other award shows in the past have tried to come up with bits to keep acceptance speeches from going too long (much to mixed results).—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
7 June 2026
-
Katz-Mayfield came up with the idea for the startup based on his frustration with the status quo of buying $20 replacement razor blades.—
Amelia Lucas,Melissa Repko,
CNBC,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belly up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belly%20up. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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