Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

bulge

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of bulge

1 a part that sticks out from the general mass of something

  • several bulges in the old vinyl flooring in the dingy bathroom
Synonyms of bulge

bunch, convexity, jut, overhang, projection, protrusion, protuberance, swell
Words Related to bulge

dome

blob, bump, dilatation, gibbosity, hump, knob, knot, knurl, lump, nub, obtrusion, puff, snag, swelling

block, piece, portion, section

enlargement, escalation, expansion, increase

hill, mound
Near Antonyms of bulge

crater, hole, well

basin, bowl, dip, valley

furrow, groove, trench, trough

dimple, gouge, impression, notch, pocket
Antonyms of bulge

cavity, concave, concavity, dent, depression, dint, hollow, indent, indentation, indenture, pit, recess

2 the more favorable condition or position in a competition

  • she got the bulge on him in the race for the statehouse
Synonyms of bulge

advantage, better, catbird seat, drop, edge, high ground, inside track, jump, pull, stead, upper hand, vantage, whip hand
Words Related to bulge

allowance, head start, lead, leg up, margin, odds, start

ascendancy (also ascendency), command, dominance, mastery, predominance, superiority, supremacy, transcendence, transcendency

precedence, preference, prerogative, privilege, seniority

break, foothold, opportunity

benefit, blessing, boon, felicity, godsend, manna, windfall
Phrases Synonymous with bulge

coign of vantage
Near Antonyms of bulge

detriment, stranglehold

disparity, imbalance, inequality, unevenness

disability, failing, impairment, shortcoming

bar, catch, check, clog, crimp, embarrassment, hindrance, hitch, hurdle, impediment, interference, let, manacle, obstacle, obstruction, rub, shackle, stop, trammel

lurch, setback
Antonyms of bulge

disadvantage, drawback, handicap, liability, minus, penalty, strike

Synonym Discussion of bulge

projection, protrusion, protuberance, bulge mean an extension beyond the normal line or surface. projection implies a jutting out especially at a sharp angle.
    • those projections along the wall are safety hazards
protrusion suggests a thrusting out so that the extension seems a deformity.
    • the bizarre protrusions of a coral reef
protuberance implies a growing or swelling out in rounded form.
    • a skin disease marked by warty protuberances
bulge suggests an expansion caused by internal pressure.
    • bulges in the tile floor

bulge

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of bulge

1 to extend outward beyond a usual point

  • the sides of the returning camper's suitcase bulged with a month's worth of dirty laundry
Synonyms of bulge

bag, balloon, beetle, belly, billow, bunch, jut, overhang, poke, pooch [chiefly dialect], pouch, pout, project, protrude, stand out, start, stick out, swell
Words Related to bulge

dome

blow up, inflate

dilate, distend, expand

mushroom, snowball

elongate, extend, lengthen, stretch
Near Antonyms of bulge

compress, condense, constrict, contract, shrink

2 to be copiously supplied

  • this guidebook to San Francisco positively bulges with useful information
Synonyms of bulge

abound, brim, bristle, burst, bustle, buzz, crawl, hum, overflow, pullulate, swarm, teem
Near Antonyms of bulge

lack, need, want

Learn More about bulge

  1. Dictionary: Definition of bulge Spanish Central: Translation of bulge Nglish: Translation of bulge for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bulge for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up bulge? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games