BILLOW Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

billow 1 of 2

noun

ˈbi-(ˌ)lō

Definition of billow

as in wave

a moving ridge on the surface of water the great billows created by the ocean storm threatened to swamp the fishing boat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

billow

2 of 2

verb

as in to protrude

to extend outward beyond a usual point the curtains in the open windows billowed in the summer wind

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 billow

Noun

Taking a pass Smoke billows from a fire at the BioLab facility in Conyers in September 2024. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 19 Aug. 2026 For eight brutal days, residents of Boyle Heights watched smoke billow from a burning warehouse and prayed the flames would spare their homes. — Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026

Verb

And then there’s this suit—the billowing pants, the jacket closed just so, worn with socks and sandals. — Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026 Mary’s gown billowed in the wind; in fact, the whole illustration showed the storm, from the water breaking against the monastery to the kneeling pilgrims, bundled for warmth, waiting out the downpour on the shore. — Ellen O’Connell Whittet, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for billow

Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow

Noun

Two weeks later, a wave of protests had swept cities across France.

— Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
The death of actor and disability rights advocate RJ Mitte was met with a wave of grief from his Breaking Bad co-stars, who shared memories of Mitte following the tragedy.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of wave

Noun

California did not experience any rain or wind before massive swells overtook Laguna Beach, where a portion of the PCH remains closed as sections crack and slide down toward the ocean.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026
Surf was even less accessible, dependent on coastline and a lucky swell.

— Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of swell

Verb

Ask it to poke holes and give you the strongest case against something.

— Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Kessler, standing nearby during Williams’ postgame news conference, poked his head out from behind a black curtain and gave his teammate a thumbs-up.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of poke

Verb

Simmons has yet to make his season debut because of a bulging disk in his back, and Rice injured his hamstring during Kansas City’s Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

— Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2026
In the grayness that should have been sunrise that morning, dark clouds sagged baggily over the very treetops, bulging as if ready to split under their liquid weight.

— Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of bulge

Browse Nearby Words

bill of fare

billow

billowed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of billow

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

vocation

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes