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
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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Also once per year try to have a more thorough inspection/check-up of the car to look for any potential issues that may be coming up in the future.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
13 Mar. 2026
-
That’s coming up next, after this short break.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Nvidia plans to announce a new architecture drawing on Groq at its GTC developer conference in California next week, The Wall Street Journal reported.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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In Japan — which takes over 90% of its crude from the region — refiners are asking for the option of drawing on national oil reserves.—
Yongchang Chin,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Now, the program is closing in on UIL history.—
Myah Taylor,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Mar. 2026
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As the Mideast conflict involving Iran and the United States continues, the average gas price across the state has rushed past $3 a gallon, and is closing in on $4.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With nesting season approaching on Padre Island, the chances of encountering a Kemp’s ridley along the Texas coast go up.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Santaniello is approaching 30 years behind the anchor desk at WCCO.—
Aki Nace,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Iran retaliated by closing the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil trade.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Mark Lanier, the attorney representing Kaley, began his closing statement by presenting the jurors with an image of a herd of gazelles surrounded by a lion.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The state Air Resources Board is expected to revise the proposal in the coming weeks before bringing it to a vote in May.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The biggest question surrounding Westlake boys basketball coming into the season was how the team would fit together.—
Colby Gordon,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bellying up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellying%20up. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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