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
Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
Three seconds later, the Honda crashes into a parked car with such force its tires fly off the street, the pile of cars lurches forward several feet and snow billows.
—Claire Galofaro, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
Greg Myre, NPR, 31 May 2026
Fake smoke billows from the chimneys and the windows are filled with moving models of the colorful creatures from the films.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for billow
Noun
Rol has so far counted 148 vehicles burned by the fire, which produced billows of black smoke visible from across metro Denver.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
Three seconds later, the Honda crashes into a parked car with such force its tires fly off the street, the pile of cars lurches forward several feet and snow billows.
—Claire Galofaro, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
Video showed the Israeli flag fluttering from atop the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle while black smoke billowed from the nearby town of Arnoun.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 31 May 2026
Fake smoke billows from the chimneys and the windows are filled with moving models of the colorful creatures from the films.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for billow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow
Noun
-
Playa Vik sits directly on Playa Mansa, on downtown José Ignacio’s western edge, facing calm waters and long, romantic stretches of sand where you’re bound to see more birds, more waves than people.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
The voice was faint and rasping, like the sound of pebbles raked by a wave.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Elsewhere on the trophy, there are the original rules to soccer, from 1863, which include a proscription on players having nails, iron plates, or gutta-percha—a Malaysian rubberlike material, now used in root canals—protruding from their boots.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
The cups also feature a more angular design, visibly protruding rather than gradually curving.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
31 May 2026
Noun
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But many people don’t know what happened just a short paddle away in 1926, when the fishing boat Thema capsized during a big swell off Corona del Mar, before the jetties were put in place.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
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Monday’s suit comes amid a swell of anti-AI sentiment across the country, with many commencement speakers facing boos for mentioning AI and data center construction running into heated public opposition.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Millions and millions of people tuned in to watch Johnny Carson poke fun at everyone, identify and support up-and-coming comics, entertain with clever and timeless skits, bring on musical guests and tell jokes.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
Even Parsons himself poked fun at such notions.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
And, soon, the OCFA crew learns that one of three storage tanks at the plant — one that contains the chemical methyl methacrylate, or MMA — is bulging.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
2 June 2026
-
The top of my head had been level with the bulging briefcase the girl had tucked under her arm.—
Annie Ernaux,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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