bellying up

verb

present participle of belly up
as in coming up
to come near or nearer belly up to the buffet table and help yourselves

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellying up
  1. coming up
  2. drawing on
  3. closing in
  4. approaching
  5. closing
  6. coming
Verb
  • Meantime, which is coming up next year with James McAvoy, or Jackal, because these stories all need something different.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • When tackling something challenging, coming up with a plan is often a good first step.
    — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of coming up
Verb
  • The production filmed at Berry Gordy’s first mansion and the Detroit Masonic Temple, while also drawing on local crews and talent.
    — Desjah Altvater, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Happiness Anytime finds Bridges reconnecting with the warmth of his 2015 debut Coming Home while drawing on the adventurous groove of his past collaborations with Khruangbin.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of drawing on
Verb
  • The father-daughter duo has set up shop ensconced in the woods, herding donkeys and so far evading the violence closing in on them from the outside.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Palmeiras winger Allan Elias is closing in on a move as the club look for replacements for Savinho and Omar Marmoush, the duo heading to Spurs.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of closing in
Verb
  • The bottom line is that GPC has done a good job of bottoming this year, forming a bullish pattern, outperforming its major peers, and approaching a potential breakout from a multi-year relative downtrend versus XLY.
    — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Surveillance video from the Cedar Glenn complex showed Brunson, Newman, and another unnamed co-defendant jumping a fence, approaching a Chevrolet Suburban, and fleeing after being confronted by a witness.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of approaching
Verb
  • By the closing bell, IBM’s stock had fallen roughly 25%—the worst single day in the company’s 115-year history.
    — Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 24 Aug. 2026
  • After rebuttal witnesses for the prosecution finish testimony, closing arguments will take place and the judge will instruct the jury and send them into deliberations.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of closing
Verb
  • That may still be the case in the coming weeks, but the second episode of HBO’s Lanterns makes for a fairly solid (if simple and straightforward) follow-up with some wildly entertaining moments.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • But the war in Ukraine has been coming ever closer to home for many Russians, hitting them squarely in the pocketbooks.
    — Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of coming

Browse Nearby Words

bellying
bellying up
belly-land
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Cite this Entry

“Bellying up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellying%20up. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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