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
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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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Julia spearheaded much of the design, drawing on her years living in Paris for inspiration.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
27 Apr. 2026
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Artist James Hillier, who goes by the moniker Nordacious, started drawing on his iPad, capturing Farnham’s blond mullet and slices of watermelon – a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 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
-
One way of approaching this is to go back to our earlier discussion about attitudes.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
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Kazmierczak is sitting in the front row and stands up, quickly approaching Omar and squirting apple cider vinegar on her with a syringe.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Eichel hasn’t scored a goal in two games and Marner has only an empty-net goal in the closing moments of Game 1.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
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An example of working together would be my approach to closing Men’s Central Jail.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Daily News,
7 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 10 May. 2026.
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