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
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
Swashbucklers, scoundrels, bandits and buccaneers will soon be bellying up to the bar inside a lively new pirate pub at Walt Disney World that’s already booked solid for the first two months and promises to be a must-have reservation for visitors.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Marczyk Fine Foods was slated to occupy a space in the Origin Hotel, but that plan went belly up in 2019.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2025
Now, belly up to USA TODAY's Bars of the Year with Mackensy Lunsford.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 30 July 2025
Indeed, the restaurant strikes me as a perfect choice for solo dining: belly up to the bar for a glass from the strong wine list, which foregrounds small producers, and order something to nibble on, or dive into, or bask in.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
Imagery of the aftermath showed vehicles submerged, some belly up.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 13 June 2025
Alvin Velazquez, an associate law professor at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law, said bankruptcy law is typically skeptical of anything that happens during the roughly 3-month period before a business goes belly up.
—Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 28 May 2025
Sheriff’s office video shows the alligator had bellied up to the bar when deputies arrived.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
Alex Pron, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Swashbucklers, scoundrels, bandits and buccaneers will soon be bellying up to the bar inside a lively new pirate pub at Walt Disney World that’s already booked solid for the first two months and promises to be a must-have reservation for visitors.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Marczyk Fine Foods was slated to occupy a space in the Origin Hotel, but that plan went belly up in 2019.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2025
Now, belly up to USA TODAY's Bars of the Year with Mackensy Lunsford.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 30 July 2025
Indeed, the restaurant strikes me as a perfect choice for solo dining: belly up to the bar for a glass from the strong wine list, which foregrounds small producers, and order something to nibble on, or dive into, or bask in.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
Imagery of the aftermath showed vehicles submerged, some belly up.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 13 June 2025
Alvin Velazquez, an associate law professor at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law, said bankruptcy law is typically skeptical of anything that happens during the roughly 3-month period before a business goes belly up.
—Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 28 May 2025
Sheriff’s office video shows the alligator had bellied up to the bar when deputies arrived.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belly up
Verb
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Every member of the CDC’s Washington office, which serves as a conduit between the agency’s Atlanta headquarters and Capitol Hill, was fired; barring a second round of reversals, that office appears to be closed.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Rahm, meanwhile, finished tied for ninth, carding a final-round 68 to close at 12-under-par.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In weighing the kind of long-term commitment Tucker will be seeking, Hoyer acknowledged the Cubs have operated cautiously while approaching the expiration of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, which runs through the 2026 season.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
As the colder months approach across the United States, dog owners should be mindful of changing weather conditions and adjust their pet care routines accordingly.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
USA Today,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Terao Tetsuya’s linguistic landscape expands at times beyond Mandarin to draw on Japanese and Taiwanese Hokkien.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
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Each mural draws on themes of belonging and connection.—
Alyssa N. Salcedo,
jsonline.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hiring has rapidly changed since AI agents and interviewers came into the picture.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The discussion comes amid a huge surge in spending on data-center infrastructure.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But the Tigers probably aren’t the team to give him the cash, thanks to Colt Keith and their wealth of infield prospects nearing the majors.—
Ryan Ford,
Freep.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
As the government shutdown nears the two-week mark, several federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration (SSA), remain impacted by furloughs and cannot operate as usual.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The doctor finds her and tries to inject her, but Ben comes up from behind, and the two fight.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
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Some nation members believe the county is coming up with issues to foil progress.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belly up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belly%20up. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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