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
Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 15 July 2025
Smoke billows after an Israeli strike on Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on June 28, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
Calista Oetama
july 3, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2025
Photos posted by emergency responders show blue smoke and flames billowing from the green riverside vegetation next to the highway.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for billow
Noun
Smoke from the White Sage Fire billows near the Jacob Lake Inn in Fredonia, Ariz., on Saturday.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 15 July 2025
Smoke billows after an Israeli strike on Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on June 28, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
Verb
The explosion blew a yawning hole into the side of the warehouse before billowing into a mushroom cloud.
—Calista Oetama
july 3, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2025
Photos posted by emergency responders show blue smoke and flames billowing from the green riverside vegetation next to the highway.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for billow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billow
Noun
-
The biggest beneficiaries of the change have been Sam Vines, who can now play a bigger attacking role, and Yapi, who still slots into a central role, but can also make waves on the wing.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
17 Aug. 2025
-
If conditions are right, the clusters swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical depression.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Tung’s front layers were slicked across the right side of her forehead and brushed behind her ear; her short ends protruded out underneath.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
30 July 2025
-
In person the tremendous symmetry of her face was startling; her cheekbones protruded, and her eyes were far apart.—
Darcey Steinke,
Vogue,
27 July 2025
Noun
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The swells also are producing fast-moving currents beneath the county’s public piers.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Aug. 2025
-
One more beer, condensation rolling down the can in the lazy swell of this fine summer afternoon.—
Kristen Arnett
August 7,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Apart from at the very top of the tree, which presumably pokes through Florentino Perez’s office window at Real Madrid, there are no solutions, only trade-offs.—
Mark Critchley,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
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Gavin Newsom continues to mock Trump on 'Bela' The California governor's office has taken to mimicking Trump's social media style in posts trolling the president and generally poking fun at Republicans online.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The actress praises costume designer Trish Summerville, whose team then adorned her with all the brooches, bangles, and those bulging glasses.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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To prevent botulism, the CDC recommends refrigerating or freezing leftovers promptly after cooking, throwing away damaged or bulging cans, and following the USDA's guide to home-canning. 2.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billow. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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