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
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Recent Examples of billow
Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC news, 14 May 2025
In the distance, near the business park, demonstrators were setting off fireworks and a billow of black smoke could be seen.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
Martín González Gómez, New York Times, 13 June 2025
Middle East crisis — explained 'Dozens' of Iranian retaliatory strikes headed toward Israel as conflict escalates
Video posted online and verified by NPR showed black smoke billowing from the Natanz site early Friday morning local time.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for billow
Noun
In one meme, a pigeon sits atop the famous WB water tower as white smoke billows from a chimney — a reference to the recent conclave to select a new pope.
—Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC news, 14 May 2025
In the distance, near the business park, demonstrators were setting off fireworks and a billow of black smoke could be seen.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
Verb
Iranian state television broadcast images of smoke and fire billowing from buildings.
—Martín González Gómez, New York Times, 13 June 2025
Middle East crisis — explained 'Dozens' of Iranian retaliatory strikes headed toward Israel as conflict escalates
Video posted online and verified by NPR showed black smoke billowing from the Natanz site early Friday morning local time.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for billow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow
Noun
-
This week's move higher triggered a big wave of short liquidations.—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
-
The superlative, not-for-newbie waves and the beach’s isolation make for extraordinary adventure.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Nearby, police found another pitbull, Lucky, in a wet kennel that was bound shut with five leashes, her hip bones protruding.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
3 July 2025
-
Their feet protrude, white and enormous, from their grey-green uniforms like tree-branches from which the bark has been stripped.—
Thomas Meaney,
New Yorker,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Like all flash floods, this record-breaking water swell resulted from a large amount of rain that drenched one area over a relatively short amount of time.—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
7 July 2025
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The handle had a gentle palm swell (a little bulge) that was very comfortable to hold.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
The hard foul came after Sheldon poked Clark in the eye in the third quarter.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
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The couple began dating in 2023 and frequently poke fun at each other on their social media pages.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Even as dome construction bulged on the Italian peninsula from the eleventh to fifteen centuries, Romans held off on joining the building bandwagon until the late 1400s.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
12 June 2025
-
In every photo, Tater's eyes bulged with what can only be described as pure joy.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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