billows 1 of 2

plural of billow
as in waves
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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billows

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of billow

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 billows
Noun
Video released by the prison shows large chunks of debris flying off the roof with what appears to be billows of black storm clouds above the penitentiary. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
Smoke billows over Gaza Strip following an Israeli bombardment Sunday. Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2025 Smoke billows from the Lyondell Basell Houston refinery in Texas in 2024. Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025 It’s presented in a treasure chest with smoke protruding as the chest opens, slowly displaying the cocktail itself as the smoke billows into the patron’s face, preparing their nostrils for the smokey aroma ahead. Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billows
Noun
  • These alerts address hazards such as sneaker waves, rip currents, shore break, and hazardous surf—all of which can lead to serious injury or death for swimmers, surfers, and coastal visitors.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
  • In the past few years, a new generation of Japanese filmmakers has started to make waves on the international film festival circuit, which for many years was focused on a small group of Japanese masters.
    Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Baleen is a specialized type of bone that protrudes from the jaws like teeth and is used to filter small critters from the ocean water to feed.
    Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • These swells will spread westward toward the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico tonight, then toward the rest of the Greater Antilles over the next couple of days.
    MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The swells are also expected to spread toward the rest of the Greater Antilles by Friday night.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Later in the episode, Kelce's cohost and brother, Jason Kelce, pokes fun at Lively's athleticism in a storyline that sees Bridget attend a soccer camp.
    Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The trailer for Season 6 of Solar Opposites, released today, pokes fun of the show’s imminent end.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Billows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billows. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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