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
Her bulging eyes, her piercing shrieks, her casual yet immaculately articulate cruelty all come together to form a cartoonish villain who’s also a commanding delight. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026 This duality isn’t immediately obvious in the woman who greets me at her door in New York City with a bulging plastic bag of breakfast food and a wide, open smile. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 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
  • Its symptoms can be more widespread—the whole calf or ankle might become swollen and painful, Moll says.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Bites appear similar to those from mosquitoes and can appear swollen and itchy, with symptoms getting worse if the person is allergic to bedbugs.
    — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 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
  • The 10-month-old boy had a deep puncture wound in his upper chest area, while the 3-year-old girl had an inner organ protruding out of a chest-area wound.
    — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • When a switch is at rest, a protruding piece of the plastic stem keeps the switch’s two leaves from making contact.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of protruding
Verb
  • And every few months, a bursting FedEx envelope from Baltimore would appear at my desk at PRH containing Professor Dixon’s typewritten chunks of new and unpublished writing.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • People are herby, people are lemony, people are mustardy, bursting at the taste buds with umami.
    — Raven Smith, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of bursting
Adjective
  • Lu, who has protuberant light brown eyes, small black ears and a floppy tongue, loves to snuggle with her four-legged foster siblings and stretch out in the sun, according to the contest website.
    — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of protuberant
Adjective
  • Taylor received the medication in four pre-filled syringes, but wanted a lower dose.
    — Kara McGrath, Allure, 15 Sep. 2026
  • New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have introduced or passed legislation penalizing the practice and requiring employers to disclose hiring timelines or remove filled postings, while Texas has opened its own investigation into a major job board.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of filled
Verb
  • My physical study, on the floor, poking at what was there in the open field of the air, led to newfound levels of learning to process, in poems on the page, where my initial feelings of hunger came from.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In a recent interview with OutKick Dropkick, Hefner was already poking the bear in hopes of getting eyes on his event.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of poking
Verb
  • During the session, moderated by Grace Barber-Plentie, BFI London Film Festival programmer, the star repeatedly drew applause and laughter from an adoring crowd that left the room buzzing about Ackie’s passion and natural charisma.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
  • During the camp’s first seven days, the activity log filled with nearly 665 observations, mostly federal agents buzzing around their location.
    — Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All