1
as in protruded
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 & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 bulged
Her stomach bulged beneath her I ❤ FLORIDA boatneck and her face was round and waxy-pale.
—
Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
The Apple engineers’ eyes bulged in astonishment.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Angelenos’ eyes bulged at the $1,500-a-head price tag.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Mar. 2026
Taking new measurements, the researchers saw that as fluid gushed between cells, creating indentations in their cell membranes, bubbles mostly bulged into weaker cells.
—Clare Watson, Quanta Magazine, 27 Feb. 2026
The surrounding metropolitan area has similarly bulged.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Even pre-Covid, his pockets bulged with hand sanitizer.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
My vitamin cabinet bulged with supplements.
—Nisha Sharma, Parents, 9 Dec. 2025
Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
The Apple engineers’ eyes bulged in astonishment.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Angelenos’ eyes bulged at the $1,500-a-head price tag.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Mar. 2026
Taking new measurements, the researchers saw that as fluid gushed between cells, creating indentations in their cell membranes, bubbles mostly bulged into weaker cells.
—Clare Watson, Quanta Magazine, 27 Feb. 2026
The surrounding metropolitan area has similarly bulged.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Even pre-Covid, his pockets bulged with hand sanitizer.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
My vitamin cabinet bulged with supplements.
—Nisha Sharma, Parents, 9 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bulged
Verb
-
The hilt of a sword protruded from his back, snug beside a pack as tight as an angry fist.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
-
Under the flaps of his jacket there was a small tear in his T-shirt, directly over his left nipple, which protruded like a knot of purple rope.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The band whipping through Connecticut this week that really can’t be said to have burst from a large previously existing musical genre.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2026
-
Nearly three decades after Lara first burst onto screens, Legacy of Atlantis aims to honor the spirit of the original adventure while expanding the character for modern audiences.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Even at the height of his fame, there were dubious aspects of his personal life — often self-seeded to sustain his enigma — that poked hellified holes in his impermeability as an entertainer.—
Rodney Carmichael,
NPR,
3 June 2026
-
In the roadside planters, green sprouts poked up.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Minutes later, the intercom buzzed, and my father’s voice filled the room, asking me to come down to the street.—
Andrea Bajani,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
-
Her family filed a missing person’s report the morning after her disappearance, but over 80 hours passed before phones across the province buzzed with a child abduction alert, according to family lawyer Gustavo Vaca.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Conversations between the two often brimmed with lessons on life, which Honda carries close to heart.—
Julius Miller
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
The case file on Weaver’s murder that Logothetti ultimately inherited from her predecessors at the Everett Police Department brimmed with outlandish theories around her death involving money laundering and cocaine.—
Nina Giraldo,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Five racks of computer servers hummed in a futuristic yet industrial-looking classroom at Atlanta Technical College, south of downtown.—
Mirtha Donastorg,
AJC.com,
26 May 2026
-
Ventilators hummed in an intensive care unit.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bulged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bulged. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
