as in protruded
to extend outward beyond a usual point
the curtains in the open windows billowed in the summer wind
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Recent Examples of billowed
Thick clouds of black smoke also billowed from the top of the building above bright orange flames below.
—
Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
One year ago, the world watched as white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, as then Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected pope.
—Noel Brennan, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Television footage showed firefighters battling the flames as large plumes of black smoke billowed from the multistory building.
—ABC News, 6 May 2026
Black smoke billowed into the night sky of the Ukrainian capital, the morning revealing charred cars and piles of debris scattered next to damaged buildings.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
Black smoke billowed from the Suncor Energy oil refinery in Commerce City on Tuesday afternoon as the facility shut down one of its plants due to a possible electrical issue.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
By the time the spill was finally capped, three months later, seven hundred and eighty million litres of crude had billowed into the water—the largest marine oil spill in history.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Images and video posted online showed moments after the explosion as smoke plumes and flames billowed into the sky.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Overnight visuals from local media showed flames engulfing a single-storey building, while thick smoke billowed from another section of the same complex.
—CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
One year ago, the world watched as white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, as then Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected pope.
—Noel Brennan, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Television footage showed firefighters battling the flames as large plumes of black smoke billowed from the multistory building.
—ABC News, 6 May 2026
Black smoke billowed into the night sky of the Ukrainian capital, the morning revealing charred cars and piles of debris scattered next to damaged buildings.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
Black smoke billowed from the Suncor Energy oil refinery in Commerce City on Tuesday afternoon as the facility shut down one of its plants due to a possible electrical issue.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
By the time the spill was finally capped, three months later, seven hundred and eighty million litres of crude had billowed into the water—the largest marine oil spill in history.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Images and video posted online showed moments after the explosion as smoke plumes and flames billowed into the sky.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Overnight visuals from local media showed flames engulfing a single-storey building, while thick smoke billowed from another section of the same complex.
—CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billowed
Verb
-
Under the flaps of his jacket there was a small tear in his T-shirt, directly over his left nipple, which protruded like a knot of purple rope.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The Angels added two runs in the eighth inning when Josh Lowe poked a double just over the head of Gelof at third base to score Nolan Schanuel and Logan O’Hoppe.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
20 May 2026
-
In the same show, Louis Theroux made a cameo, and Gatwa poked fun at his time as Doctor Who.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Her stomach bulged beneath her I ❤ FLORIDA boatneck and her face was round and waxy-pale.—
Stephen King,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
-
The Apple engineers’ eyes bulged in astonishment.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Billowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billowed. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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