as in coming up
to come near or nearer
belly up to the buffet table and help yourselves
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bellying up
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellying up
Verb
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Think of a pair of shoes made in India crossing the Atlantic and coming up the Chesapeake Bay, then being transferred in a container to a rail car and heading south — through the Howard Street Tunnel — or north, over the Susquehanna — to some retailer.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
8 May 2026
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The only thing better than coming up with new ways to have fun is being invited to join in.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Verb
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As the United Kingdom works to make online spaces safer for children through age verification methods, kids are finding creative ways to skirt the rules, including drawing on facial hair to dupe facial recognition systems.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
10 May 2026
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Chef Banrith Yong, now in his 70s, personally prepares every entree, drawing on his classical French training for a menu of chateaubriand, escargot, and rotating specials like bouillabaisse or beef Wellington.—
Taryn Shorr-Mckee,
Midwest Living,
8 May 2026
Verb
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In it, Silver Court’s owner informed residents that the 65-year-old park in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood would be closing in six months.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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Gritty kept closing in on the pair.—
Ryan Brennan
April 23,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Additionally, California has the highest median rent in the nation, with asking rents approaching $2,900 statewide, according to Zillow data.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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With the season’s first Subway Series rapidly approaching, the Yankees’ offense hasn’t exactly been chugging along.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Dulgeroff estimated that closing the La Jolla Rec Center would result in a budget reduction of $231,975.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Hernandez will compete in the Southern Section finals on Saturday with the goal of closing her high school athletics career at the end of the month at the state track and field championships in Clovis.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The council voted unanimously Thursday to shift away from deciding how many bus stops the new law will affect, leaving that decision up to the county’s regional planning agency — the San Diego Association of Governments — to make in coming weeks.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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The Bridgeport Islanders, which played hockey in the state for more than two decades, announced a move to Canada in the coming months.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bellying up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellying%20up. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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