as in plump
having an excess of body fat
a roly-poly baby who grew into a slender child
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of roly-poly
The lounge’s furniture had been softened with curvy sofas and roly-poly club chairs, but that sensation of floating above the city felt familiar.
—
Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
Every few weeks a letter or phone call requesting a conference with Zilpha and Jaron came from Mr. Darwin, the school resource manager, a roly-poly man with a lovely voice.
—Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
But like a roly-poly, the gömböc is round in places.
—Elise Cutts, Wired News, 10 Aug. 2025
Regardless of what they’re called, most people know exactly what an armadillo looks like, with its roly-poly armored form and weird shuffling walk.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
Imagine instead your mother’s delight in you as a baby, in all your sweet-smelling, roly-poly nudeness.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 10 June 2025
People were bamboozled by the roly-poly big-eyed cuteness — such clips have drawn in millions of viewers.
—Brian Munoz, NPR, 24 Jan. 2025
Imagine a pale roly-poly the size of a muskrat wandering the seafloor.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
Every few weeks a letter or phone call requesting a conference with Zilpha and Jaron came from Mr. Darwin, the school resource manager, a roly-poly man with a lovely voice.
—Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
But like a roly-poly, the gömböc is round in places.
—Elise Cutts, Wired News, 10 Aug. 2025
Regardless of what they’re called, most people know exactly what an armadillo looks like, with its roly-poly armored form and weird shuffling walk.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
Imagine instead your mother’s delight in you as a baby, in all your sweet-smelling, roly-poly nudeness.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 10 June 2025
People were bamboozled by the roly-poly big-eyed cuteness — such clips have drawn in millions of viewers.
—Brian Munoz, NPR, 24 Jan. 2025
Imagine a pale roly-poly the size of a muskrat wandering the seafloor.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roly-poly
Adjective
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Take this eye cream—retinol, Indonesian ginger, and iris extract are an unexpected trio that prevent the degradation of and promote the creation of collagen, increase hyaluronic acid production, improve circulation, firm, and plump skin.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
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In fact, when deciding on a slab of salmon or a plump whole branzino, many of our senses should come into play—including common sense!—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Because of this, Nguyen recommends making a conscious effort to pair these items with other foods to ensure a balance of carbs, protein, fat, and produce (which is rich in fiber).—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
15 Jan. 2026
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Eating ham regularly can increase blood pressure due to its high content of salt, fat, and preservatives.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Dotson is returning to practice this week ahead of the Rams’ divisional round game against the Chicago Bears.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Penn State won the first matchup, a 74-69 victory in a 1991 NCAA Tournament first round game at Syracuse's Carrier Dome.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roly-poly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roly-poly. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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