as in protrudes
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 billows
Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 31 May 2026
Smoke billows following an Israeli strike on the area of the Rawdat al-Salihin Mosque and the nearby cemetery in the southern city of Nabatieh, Lebanon, May 26, 2026.
—CBS News, 27 May 2026
Video footage of the crash's aftermath obtained by NBC shows the vehicle significantly engulfed in orange flames emitting billows of black smoke.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Father and son, both members of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, stare out at a sea of green grass and buffalo berry bushes as a herd of 30 or so bison munch patches of grass, flick their tails at flies, and flop onto the ground, creating brief billows of dust.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
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
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
Prayer mats lie next to heavy artillery; smoke billows from parked whips; backstabbers get cut first.
—Pitchfork, 10 Dec. 2025
Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
The officers can then been seen scrambling to recover through debris as smoke billows out of the house, checking on each other to see if anyone had been hurt.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
In the portrait, taken in the last few weeks, black smoke billows behind her as her fuchsia headscarf billows in the wind behind her.
—Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
In Kelmscott House—Morris’s own Georgian mansion in Hammersmith, London—a 17th-century Iranian carpet billows from the ceiling in the dining room.
—Lila Allen, Architectural Digest, 10 Feb. 2026
Thick black smoke billows from a South El Monte recycling plant as Los Angeles County Fire Department crews are attempting to control the flames consuming the large building complex.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Smoke billows from the Lyondell Basell Houston refinery in Texas in 2024.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following Israeli strikes as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, on Sunday.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 31 May 2026
Smoke billows following an Israeli strike on the area of the Rawdat al-Salihin Mosque and the nearby cemetery in the southern city of Nabatieh, Lebanon, May 26, 2026.
—CBS News, 27 May 2026
Video footage of the crash's aftermath obtained by NBC shows the vehicle significantly engulfed in orange flames emitting billows of black smoke.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Father and son, both members of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, stare out at a sea of green grass and buffalo berry bushes as a herd of 30 or so bison munch patches of grass, flick their tails at flies, and flop onto the ground, creating brief billows of dust.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
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
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
Prayer mats lie next to heavy artillery; smoke billows from parked whips; backstabbers get cut first.
—Pitchfork, 10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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
The officers can then been seen scrambling to recover through debris as smoke billows out of the house, checking on each other to see if anyone had been hurt.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
In the portrait, taken in the last few weeks, black smoke billows behind her as her fuchsia headscarf billows in the wind behind her.
—Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
In Kelmscott House—Morris’s own Georgian mansion in Hammersmith, London—a 17th-century Iranian carpet billows from the ceiling in the dining room.
—Lila Allen, Architectural Digest, 10 Feb. 2026
Thick black smoke billows from a South El Monte recycling plant as Los Angeles County Fire Department crews are attempting to control the flames consuming the large building complex.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Smoke billows from the Lyondell Basell Houston refinery in Texas in 2024.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billows
Noun
-
And crowds would arrive to watch for whales in summer or brave the crashing spray of the huge waves in winter.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
-
Visitors can tour the museum in the former keeper’s house, explore scenic coastal trails and photograph waves crashing against the rocks.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
These are more likely to cause painless rectal bleeding or tissue that protrudes during a bowel movement.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Part of it protrudes from the exterior, with natural airflow helping keep the food inside chilled.—
Adam Williams
March 29,
New Atlas,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The south shore of Kauai—like most Hawaiian islands—sees bigger swells during the summer months, while the north shore has bigger waves in the winter.—
Brianna Randall,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
The gentle waves at South Beach attract families, while East Beach has bigger swells.—
Elizabeth Rhodes,
Travel + Leisure,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
In it, Grace can be seen playing a racing game while the Mallrats creator pokes fun at her driving skills.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 June 2026
-
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander apparently isn’t amused by a new board game that pokes fun at the Oklahoma City Thunder star’s reputation for garnering foul calls at the hint of contact by an opposing player.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a brain aneurysm is a weakened area in an artery that bulges outward and fills with blood.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Billows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billows. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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