bellied

verb

Definition of belliednext
past tense of belly
1
as in protruded
to extend outward beyond a usual point the sails slowly bellied as the wind picked up

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crawled
to move slowly with the body close to the ground recruits were forced to belly over the obstacle course under simulated enemy fire

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 bellied Wisconsin comedian Charlie Berens behind the bar and actor Hugh Jackman bellied, err abs-ed, up to it. — Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 3 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellied
  1. protruded
  2. crawled
  3. poked
  4. crept
  5. bulged
  6. slid
  7. snaked
  8. slithered
Verb
  • The semiaquatic predator’s eyes would have also protruded from the skull, similar to the Indian gharial, because the eye sockets were raised like a telescope, Burke added.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of protruded
Verb
  • In May 2025, after Williams shut off the water in a cell, 10 inmates removed a toilet, crawled through a gap in the wall and scaled a fence out of the jail.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In real-world tests, the hand crawled across 14 different surfaces including smooth floors, metal grates, grass, and gravel.
    — Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of crawled
Verb
  • Already poked, the league bear hasn’t exactly gone into hibernation, either.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Bellingham poked in Gordon's cross midway through the first half.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of poked
Verb
  • Europe has crept back on the scene in a real negative way, this time with France on the hot seat.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The aberrant digit only crept in because Ford owned the rights to Model E and wasn’t interested in selling.
    — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of crept
Verb
  • 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
Definition of bulged
Verb
  • The Dallas Cowboys tight end slid into the former college athlete and influencer's DMs with a line that ended up working and anyone can use.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Artificial Intelligence infrastructure plays Nebius Group and Iren also slid 5% and nearly 8%, respectively.
    — Ananya Chetia,Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of slid
Verb
  • At Yohji Yamamoto, a long strand of eyelashes cascaded down from a model’s lower eyelid and snaked against her face.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Demands for the exclusive event pins exceeded common sense and ventured into the absurd with haphazard lines that snaked through the convention center.
    — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of snaked
Verb
  • Saint Laurent‘s shining gold shoes slithered down the spring 2027 runway on Tuesday to become the talk of Paris Fashion Week, with sculptural snake heels among the collection’s standout footwear.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The snake, later identified as an approximately eight-foot-long Burmese python, had slithered beneath the floor of a wooden shed.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of slithered

Browse Nearby Words

bellicosity
bellied
bellied up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bellied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellied. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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