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
  • The Americans, at last coming up for air, had a moment late in the half that buoyed a capacity crowd in Seattle’s NFL stadium and numerous watch parties throughout San Diego County.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
  • Of course, actually coming up with the mnemonic can be a task unto itself.
    — Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of coming up
Verb
  • Someone who is actually drawing on the tropes and the techniques of science fiction toward a different end, toward actually accessing capital markets.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026
  • The winning numbers for the Powerball lottery drawing on Wednesday, July 1, are 2, 6, 26, 39, 68, and the Powerball is 6.
    — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of drawing on
Verb
  • The move follows months of tension over the reopening of the Russian Pavilion, which returned this year after closing in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 13 July 2026
  • Culpepper, who seemed to be closing in on a major league call-up last month, had landed on the IL from June 16-28 with the same injury.
    — Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 7 July 2026
Definition of closing in
Verb
  • No player approaching 40 can press or attack with the same intensity throughout the whole match.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • And with Acuña’s return approaching and some more help with the pitching staff, their injury look could turn the other way.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of approaching
Verb
  • Keels is an unrestricted free agent after closing last season on a two-way deal with Miami.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
  • But the lawsuit will at the very least likely delay Paramount Skydance’s goal of closing this deal by the end of the month.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 13 July 2026
Definition of closing
Verb
  • Beyond California, scientists are raising alarms over the planet’s warming oceans, which — coupled with a strong El Niño — could increase temperatures for land dwellers in the coming weeks.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Over the coming days, he is expected to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss Russia's war.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 6 July 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 19 Jul. 2026.

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