as in coming up
to come near or nearer
belly up to the buffet table and help yourselves
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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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The Tonight Show Goes Full Double Dare Speaking of consummate professionalism, how about Johnny Knoxville coming up with a Chuck Berry piss-kink joke while being hosed down with water at 30 Rock.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
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Long before Marc Jacobs was filling his runways with A-list front rows or Sofia Coppola was making Oscar-winning films, the pair were simply two twenty-something creatives coming up together in a very specific moment of downtown New York.—
Anna Tingley,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The ceremony itself will spotlight the shows, characters and performances that resonated most strongly with audiences over the past year, drawing on fan stories from around the world and footage from the format’s standout titles.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
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And while the all-volunteer force has produced the finest military in the world, democracies have historically fielded stronger armies by drawing on the full diversity of talent, perspectives, and experiences of their citizens.—
Zach Iscol,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This problem isn’t isolated to Rolla – child care providers are closing in other rural areas.—
Beth Kania-Gosche,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 2026
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Vanderbilt leads by five and is slowly closing in on its first NCAA Tournament win in 14 years.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Security footage widely shared online shows a man wearing a black beanie, sunglasses, a green tank top and brown shorts approaching Moo Deng and her mother, Jona, while holding a tablet, apparently recording or taking photos.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
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And an even more powerful next generation of medicines is quickly approaching, churning out trial results – including some new ones Thursday – that leave current options in the dust in terms of efficacy.—
Meg Tirrell,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Servicing that debt, to say nothing of closing the deficit that constantly adds to it, requires massive economic growth.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
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But Saudi Arabia is signaling that any window for negotiations with Iran is closing with every missile and drone fired across the Arabian Gulf.—
Raf Sanchez,
NBC news,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The construction and development at the East Village base will rapidly evolve over the coming years, and is sure to transform Deer Valley into one of the nation's preeminent luxury ski destinations.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Mar. 2026
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The Irish coming-of-ager, created by Lisa McGee, became a cultural phenomenon that transcended time and place.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bellying up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellying%20up. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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