bulged

verb

past tense of bulge
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in burst
to be copiously supplied this guidebook to San Francisco positively bulges with useful information

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 By later in the day, the second lake had bulged — sparking fears of another lethal torrent. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 My husband Grant Wahl's bulged and burst, at an age when this disease usually means something inherited. — Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 13 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bulged
  1. protruded
  2. burst
  3. poked
  4. buzzed
  5. brimmed
  6. hummed
Verb
  • The stranger’s hollow cheeks, his dark eyes, whose lashes always appeared wet, the bony shoulders that protruded from the singlet Chee Meng had lent him—all of it frightened Shawn.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In several looks, the hips protruded impressively outward, but the silhouette appeared more subtle and somewhat suitable for everyday wear in the label’s delicate camisole tops.
    — Kelly Niesen, Glamour, 24 July 2026
Definition of protruded
Verb
  • In these moments, the actor bursts through his roles as the Spider does through Reilly, unleashing the Grand Guignol excess that is Nicolas Cage.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Two weeks after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, the Russian TV Channel One editor Marina Ovsyannikova burst onto the set of the evening newscast.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of burst
Verb
  • Gray-green eyes poked up from its small, round shell, which was the color of sand, and its legs made a soft, scuttling sound.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Flip and continue to cook until the flesh begins to flake when poked with a fork, 1 to 2 minutes.
    — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of poked
Verb
  • Cell phones buzzed as the public safety alert appeared on screen and asked people to call authorities with any information.
    — Jarrod Wardwell, Houston Chronicle, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In recent weeks, new residents have buzzed around 929 Walnut Street in downtown Kansas City.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of buzzed
Verb
  • Carcasses lay strewn along the shoreline as the beach brimmed with weekend activity.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • But You Caint Use My Phone, which brimmed with affirmative heaters that wonderfully interrogated screen-staring.
    — Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of brimmed
Verb
  • Duke also knew that in the country’s beautiful capital, Budapest, cafés hummed with arguments about poetry and politics, the press was relatively free, and Jewish businesses were still open.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Pastel Colonial buildings lined the streets, their facades glowing in the afternoon sun, while the plazas hummed with life.
    — Chantelle Kincy, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of hummed

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Cite this Entry

“Bulged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bulged. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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