bulging 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of bulgingnext
1
as in swollen

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in bursting

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

bulging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bulge
1
as in protruding
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in buzzing
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 bulging
Adjective
Particularly, the bulging transition from the more upright trapezoidal lower section of the grille to the hood throws us off. — Mark Takahashi, Car and Driver, 9 Sep. 2022 And the big, bulging, muscles that let Hulk SMASH so effectively aren't the same as carrying a lot of excess fat. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2021
Verb
Their bulging eyes stare back at the Queen’s Consort, empty in pallid faces. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 The design choice makes the missiles look strange, their rear end bulging. — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for bulging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bulging
  1. swollen
  2. brimming
  3. protruding
  4. bursting
  5. protuberant
  6. filled
  7. poking
  8. buzzing
Adjective
  • Upon arrival, police found 37-year-old Destiny Dunn deceased with bruises on her body, including her neck and face, and her eyelids were swollen and discolored, according to court documents.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 15 Aug. 2026
  • So is a swollen lymph node on the same side of your body as the scratch, which can signal cat-scratch disease, a bacterial infection most common in kids.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of swollen
Adjective
  • Combine these free-flowering, compact cascaders with bold uprights like canna lilies or coleus and textural fillers like euphorbia and lantana to keep your display balanced and brimming.
    — Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 14 May 2026
  • Exhausting, exhilarating softball in which to spend my body’s force—that in the morning—then in the afternoon, the brimming, hearty stew of family life.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Definition of brimming
Verb
  • Akhenaten, who may have been the boy-king’s father, was depicted in artwork as having wide hips and a protruding belly, which stood out from portraits of other Egyptian royalty.
    — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The visual form demands a stark contrast between the protruding belly and the slimness of the rest of a woman’s body.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of protruding
Verb
  • The wealth of the richest Americans has torqued upward, bursting through the top of the graph, with no end in sight, completely untethered from the rest of the United States.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Murphy has built an empire by keeping a full-to-bursting pipeline of shows and returning to certain creative wells.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of bursting
Adjective
  • And the rear of the case is deeper to accommodate a protuberant rear camera—hinting that the next iPad will see a big camera upgrade.
    — David Phelan, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2022
  • His eyesight was failing and his eyes were bloodshot and protuberant.
    — Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books, 21 Sep. 2022
Definition of protuberant
Adjective
  • Maybe the sign-up flow has too many fields, the first action users need to take isn't obvious or there's a setting that should have been pre-filled.
    — Kelli Behan-Aspland, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The Wall Street Journal featured Reese alongside WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson on its magazine cover, even after Caitlin Clark broke numerous records, filled arenas, and set new marks for WNBA broadcasts.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Definition of filled
Verb
  • Carrington has previously garnered controversy for poking Cunningham's teammate Caitlin Clark in the eye during the 2024 playoffs, and making controversial statements in the media.
    — Jackson Thompson , Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • At first glance, corals present as little more than colorful rocks — piles of lobes, stalagmites, and branches poking out from the seafloor.
    — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of poking
Verb
  • Discussion forums were buzzing, mining the multitude of horror movie references embedded in the series.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • For the last week or two there have been dozens and dozens of dragonflies buzzing around.
    — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of buzzing

Browse Nearby Words

bulges
bulging
bulk
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bulging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bulging. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on bulging

Nglish: Translation of bulging for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All