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
John Vorwald, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2025
Smoke billows during Israeli strikes on the Mushtaha Tower in Gaza City on September 5, 2025, amid the war between Israel and the Hamas militant movement.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Sep. 2025
C. Michael White, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2025
The sleeves of the piece billowed ever-so-slightly, creating movement and a contrast to the pencil skirt silhouette.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for billow
Noun
The change may sound subtle, but the impact is dramatic: more ease of movement, better airflow, and fabric that drapes and billows rather than clings.
—John Vorwald, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2025
Smoke billows during Israeli strikes on the Mushtaha Tower in Gaza City on September 5, 2025, amid the war between Israel and the Hamas militant movement.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
Fossil fuels, which come from deep within the Earth, also billow heavy metals into the air when they are burned.
—C. Michael White, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2025
The sleeves of the piece billowed ever-so-slightly, creating movement and a contrast to the pencil skirt silhouette.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for billow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow
Noun
-
Another wave of migration occurred around 2500 BCE.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Terahertz waves are hard to tame.—
Meghie Rodrigues,
IEEE Spectrum,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Spider-y lash extensions protruded from her lash line, reaching to the bottom of her brows; a thin wing of black liner was drawn from the outer corners of her eyes.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The protruding bracket behind the air guide appears to be a cable guide, and the box behind the cable guide is a three-drive cage.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The best-case scenario for a boat captain piloting a cruise during such a tsunami is to be in the open ocean in deep water and ride out the swell.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The looming swell of federal agents could signal a new phase in that campaign.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
One poked his head into the live shot and later stuck his hand into the frame, seemingly seeking a fist bump from the reporter.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Kean himself gets a tattoo hand-poked into his skin and applies medieval salves to his wounds.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Around the same time, Ortega-Jiménez discovered that spiderwebs deform when positively charged insects fly by, bulging out to ensnare them.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Dragged down by steep declines at its star brand Gucci and a bulging debt load, Kering has also been closing stores, selling real estate and reducing headcount after a dismal start to the year that saw group net profit plummet 46 percent in the first half.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share