billow 1 of 2

as in wave
a moving ridge on the surface of water the great billows created by the ocean storm threatened to swamp the fishing boat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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billow

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of billow
Noun
Smoke billows today from Israeli strikes west of Gaza City. NBC News, 18 Mar. 2025 And these huge billows of wildfire smoke will remain huge problems for a while and could end up traveling huge distances from the flames. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
Arson at two old bunkers at the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Arden Hills sent smoke billowing into the air over the weekend. Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 12 May 2025 Small plants, animals and microbes thrive off the plumes of mineral-rich gases billowing from the Axial Seamount's hydrothermal vents. Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for billow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow
Noun
  • The resulting waves would be on the order of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed more than 50,000 people.
    Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 25 May 2025
  • Herzig has played fantasy football for nearly his entire life, riding this wave all the way to the crest.
    David Hill, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • Using metal detectors and magnetometers, the team was able to locate large bits of steel and iron protruding from the seafloor that turned out to be parts of the frame and windlass, the machine used to reel in the anchor.
    Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
  • One of the biggest surprises of the 2025 Met Gala is Rihanna’s protruding belly.
    Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 6 May 2025
Noun
  • As the number of A-list fans of the all-conquering kids hit swells, Inglourious Basterds star Diane Kruger has been recruited to narrate a version of Bluey Book Reads that will be read in German for the first time.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 May 2025
  • But on this overcast summer day, only a couple dozen people bob on their surfboards, waiting for the perfect swell.
    Liz Baker, NPR, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • Within seconds, Phaedra poked fun at newbies Brit Eady, Angela Oakley, and Kelli Ferrell.
    Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 25 May 2025
  • These two words have become an international meme, poking fun at Trump, especially since Putin ignored him.
    Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • After weeks of treatment his body is still skeletal, bones bulging through his skin.
    Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 16 May 2025
  • Subsequent scans revealed that the kitten had fluid on her lungs and showed signs of a hiatal hernia, which is when part of the stomach bulges through the diaphragm.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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