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
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
The music is loose and spacious, billowing like fabric that flaps at the slightest breeze.
—
Andrew Ryce,
Pitchfork,
24 June 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
After more than four years since Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine launched an unprecedented drone strike on Gazprom's Moscow Refinery, triggering a huge explosion and sending black plumes of smoke billowing into the sky over the Russian capital.
—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
The music is loose and spacious, billowing like fabric that flaps at the slightest breeze.
—
Andrew Ryce,
Pitchfork,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for billow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow
Noun
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The peak of the heat wave will be centered over Germany Saturday with many cities throughout the country expected to reach 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).
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Early on, news of the casino’s construction caused waves of controversy across Sonoma County — some of which resulted in death threats against Sarris’ life.
Verb
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The skinny braids wrapped the bottom of the bun, while the thicker braids dressed the top, forming a cylinder shape that protruded from the crown of her head.
-
The apartment's one window, protruding from the zinc roof, faces west, putting it in direct sun from midday to dusk.
Noun
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There has been a swell of opinion in the build-up to this tournament pressing Undav’s case, including Jurgen Klopp’s, whose words always cause a stir.
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The greatest threat of those swells are to beaches that face the southwest.
Verb
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Perched on a finger of land that pokes into Lebanon, Metula is usually crowded with tourists this time of year.
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The second is a vent which pokes out above your clothes, to move warm air away from you.
Verb
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Schoenaerts menacingly grins his way through the movie, with appealingly bulging eyes.
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Tiny bulging eyes form long before the animal resembles a shark at all and its future face exists only as clusters of migrating cells, slowly organizing themselves into the structures that will eventually become jaws, cartilage and sensory organs.
Cite this Entry
“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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