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 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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belly up
Verb
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The decision closed a flashpoint case that has bitterly divided Israel since the soldiers were arrested in 2024 at the notorious Sde Teiman military prison, prompting anger from members of the far-right government and hard-line ultranationalists who violently overran the prison in protest.—
JULIA FRANKEL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
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On Thursday, Iran’s new Supreme Leader said that his country would keep closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane through which about a fifth of the world’s oil flows, and more vessels in the Persian Gulf were attacked, including two oil tankers that were set ablaze off the coast of Iraq.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The author approaches her subject with the weariness of a long-suffering old friend, sighingly explaining Stanton’s tantrums to newcomers.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
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Losses from the streaming segment narrowed by €90 million to €47 million ($51 million), with the company saying the business approached break-even in the fourth quarter.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nvidia plans to announce a new architecture drawing on Groq at its GTC developer conference in California next week, The Wall Street Journal reported.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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That report drew on records from her predecessor’s tenure to address a slew of accusations by Republican state lawmakers, MAGA influencers, activists, and others claiming widespread fraud in the 2020 election.—
Sarah Fitzpatrick,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The deal comes a week after the Swiss company made a firm bid for specialty insurer Beazley Plc and started a $5 billion capital raise to help finance the transaction.—
Sonia Sirletti,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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The budget came weeks after Gondongwana said South Africa’s debt is projected to peak this fiscal year after rising for nearly two decades, creating room for more infrastructure investment and tax relief.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Palm oil surged as much as 10%, soybean oil jumped and wheat neared a two-year peak, as the war in the Middle East drove energy and fertilizer costs higher and threatened to tighten supplies across agricultural markets.—
Hallie Gu,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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The price of Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, briefly neared $120 a barrel in early trading Monday, amid fears the conflict could keep tankers sidelined and supplies constrained.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Bulls got within 10 again on a couple of occasions in the fourth quarter, but each time the Kings came up with big baskets to stem the tide and secure the victory.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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Did Iran come up in your meetings?—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belly up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belly%20up. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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