as in coming up
to come near or nearer
belly up to the buffet table and help yourselves
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Recent Examples of bellying up
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
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellying up
Verb
-
Number one, the hand with the phone is going down, and number two, the hand with the gun is coming up.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
9 Jan. 2026
-
But the Mustangs were held scoreless from there, with Prakaschander and Ellasyn Hunter each coming up with a steal for Beckman in the final minute.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Rauschenberg started making art early, drawing on walls, painting furniture.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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Breaking news will be part of the mix, drawing on CNN’s international correspondents, but also planned are other segments, like movie reviews, Michaelson said.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
By March 2025, stores had already begun closing in downtown Brooklyn and Long Island.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Bjoern Wylezich/Getty Images Gold prices have surged to unprecedented levels in recent years and the precious metal's rally is only continuing, with the price of gold currently closing in on yet another record high.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Footage of the incidents show agents swarming vehicles, smashing windows and trying to pry open car doors within seconds of approaching drivers.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
16 Jan. 2026
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The emergency protocol was alerted when Flight 1853 was already approaching its intended designation at Barcelona-El Prat Airport from Istanbul.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Iran issued a notice, known as a NOTAM, on Wednesday closing its airspace to all flights except international civil arrivals and departures with prior permission from Iran's aviation authorities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Jan. 2026
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Cucina Enoteca Del Mar, a fixture in coastal North County for more than a dozen years, will soon be closing amid rising lease costs and a softening of sales in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The city of Southfield also made plans, but the Southfield Wildlife Commission, which made the recommendation for a deer cull in 2024, has yet to respond to CBS News Detroit's inquiry about its schedule and details for the coming year.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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My issue coming into this year was whether KU had enough scoring outside of Peterson.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bellying up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellying%20up. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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