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 roly-poly robot named after a mythological many-eyed giant has depth-sensing cameras attached to 20 telescoping legs that radiate from a central core.
—
Allen Breed, Fortune, 28 May 2026
This roly-poly robot will be holding thousands of small drones, or dandelion drones, within.
—Tom Brown, Space.com, 25 May 2026
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, 19 May 2026
Stability: Does the foot plant feel secure, or do my ankles feel roly-poly?
—Maggie Slepian, Outside, 26 Jan. 2026
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
Allen Breed, Fortune, 28 May 2026
This roly-poly robot will be holding thousands of small drones, or dandelion drones, within.
—Tom Brown, Space.com, 25 May 2026
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, 19 May 2026
Stability: Does the foot plant feel secure, or do my ankles feel roly-poly?
—Maggie Slepian, Outside, 26 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roly-poly
Adjective
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The abalone is plump and toothsome, yet still tender and accompanied by asparagus kissed by the fire.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
16 June 2026
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Post use, skin looks and feels more plump and less inflamed, with redness virtually gone and fine lines softened.—
Eva Thomas,
InStyle,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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Additionally, the study focused specifically on removing sucrose from low-fat meals, meaning the results might not apply to people eliminating sugar while following higher-fat or ketogenic eating plans, the researchers noted.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
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His 3-year-old son Sonny is learning to swing a fat plastic bat, all while working on his launch angle.—
Barry Svrluga,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
It was shaped like a cheap plastic GPS device with a yellow body and a round light-sensing eye on top connected by a little neck.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
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This day in sports history 1954 — Rocky Marciano scores a 15-round unanimous decision over Ezzard Charles at New York to retain the world heavyweight title.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roly-poly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roly-poly. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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