1
as in protruding
to extend outward beyond a usual point
the sails slowly bellied as the wind picked up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in creeping
to move slowly with the body close to the ground
recruits were forced to belly over the obstacle course under simulated enemy fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellying
Verb
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In the video, large swaths of brown earth can be seen protruding patches of mountain snow.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
20 Mar. 2026 -
The front tire was flat, with a screw protruding from it.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Then those lights flick off abruptly, dropping us into the dark like an elevator glitching down a floor, instead of delivering a creeping descent to hell.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
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Because the weeds will start creeping through the cracks in no time, grab the Grampa’s Weeder that gardeners in their 50s, 60s, and 70s use without bending down.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But rather than big Hawaiian swells, these waves were the crashing sounds of social media users poking fun at the look of the upcoming Disney film.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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His father came around the corner in time to see his arms poking up above the rim, a cartoon character in need of rescue.—
Eric Boodman,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While road salt is a key element to preventing cars from slipping and sliding over roads in winter, the mineral can damage cars over time.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
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The company’s debt load far exceeded its market capitalization, and its credit rating was sliding toward junk.—
Nir Eyal,
Harvard Business Review,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Tar Heel pipeline isn’t exactly bulging with the kind of coach the UNC job could attract.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
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Penn’s curdled facial expressions, sever buzzcut and bulging biceps morphed him into a cruel lethal weapon, but that performance — like Taylor’s — stayed stuck in the same groove throughout.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Oil follows snaking journeys that can take weeks to go from drill sites to gas pumps.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
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Long lines greeted passengers at Miami International Airport (MIA) early Monday morning, with some of them stretching the equivalent of a city block snaking through the airport.—
Steve Maugeri,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Maritime trade is crawling at Georgia’s ports, but the state authority that operates the nation’s third-busiest cargo terminals isn’t throttling back its expansion efforts.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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An unusually strong high pressure system in the middle to upper levels of the atmosphere has been crawling across the southwestern United States in the past day or so, forecasters said.—
Roberto Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bellying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellying. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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