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
Claire Galofaro, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
By night, fires dot the serene landscape and smoke billows from chimneys as guests sip cocktails and cocoa or take a sleigh ride over powdery, sparkling snow.
—Wendy O'Dea, Robb Report, 28 Dec. 2025
Noah Daly, Idaho Statesman, 30 Mar. 2026
Dramatic footage shows flames and thick black smoke billowing from the area around the airport, while firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
—Moriah Thomas, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for billow
Noun
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
By night, fires dot the serene landscape and smoke billows from chimneys as guests sip cocktails and cocoa or take a sleigh ride over powdery, sparkling snow.
—Wendy O'Dea, Robb Report, 28 Dec. 2025
Verb
As mourners arrived at Middleton High School, they were greeted by a three-story flag billowing from the outstretched ladder of Middleton Rural Fire Department’s Engine 51.
—Noah Daly, Idaho Statesman, 30 Mar. 2026
Dramatic footage shows flames and thick black smoke billowing from the area around the airport, while firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
—Moriah Thomas, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for billow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow
Noun
-
Last summer, during the bombing campaign against Iran, the Islamic Republic retaliated against Israel with large waves of ballistic missiles.—
Garrett M. Graff,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2026
-
But different stages of life offer their own distinct waves of light for artists to shift into shapes, and an appreciation for build-ing off work by preceding writers can also be found in this year’s collection.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Shards of glass and ceramic, rusted metal, medical and bio-waste, syringes, cracked circuit boards, and broken electronics protruded everywhere.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Inspect your deck for rotting boards, loose or rusted fasteners and screws, protruding nails, splintered areas, and termite damage.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Less than a day earlier, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen had been plucked from 3-foot swells by helicopters and transported them roughly one mile to the USS Murtha.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
-
That was largely because of a huge swell of protests from hunters, fishermen, hikers, mountain bikers, and other recreational users of these lands—and from the businesses that cater to them.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Officers poked a hole in the bag and found the elder Ordonez's body.—
Annasofia Scheve,
San Antonio Express-News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
France has one of the highest top income tax rates in the European Union and Briere’s treatment sparked a flurry of social media commentary in France, with some poking fun at the taxman’s pursuit of the government’s dues.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But a fair number of Mudryk’s attempts end up bulging the roof of the net with power and precision, and very few are saved.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Tar Heel pipeline isn’t exactly bulging with the kind of coach the UNC job could attract.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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