bellying

verb

present participle of belly
1
as in protruding
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 creeping
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellying
  1. protruding
  2. creeping
  3. poking
  4. sliding
  5. bulging
  6. snaking
  7. crawling
Verb
  • Tropical Hibiscus Tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), as the name suggests, is native to tropical climates in Asia and produces dramatic, vibrant flowers that can grow up to 6 inches in diameter with protruding stamens.
    — Shelby Vittek, The Spruce, 15 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of protruding
Verb
  • But now that fall is slowly creeping in, our wardrobes are ready to turn over a new leaf, too.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Audiences embraced the films for their creeping realism and slow-building scares, which transformed ordinary bedrooms, hallways and home security cameras into places where something terrifying might be lurking just outside the frame.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of creeping
Verb
  • Seething at his dad for poking at his body insecurities, the comedian dealt with his emotions like any good millennial — by podcasting about it.
    — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Wear the fall wardrobe staple layered, like Brinkley did under a cardigan with the lace poking through, or style it on its own when the weather is a little warmer.
    — Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of poking
Verb
  • Rodriguez ducks away from the challenge before sliding a reverse pass through for Adria Pedrosa to strike at goal.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Faraday Future’s shares peaked with excitement about its EV plans in 2021 and have been sliding since then.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of sliding
Verb
  • Infants may act sluggish or not active, vomit, be unusually fussy, face poor feeding, show a bulging soft spot on the head, or show poor reflexes.
    — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Padmini came in about ten minutes later, carrying a net bag bulging with okra and shiny gourds.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of bulging
Verb
  • The estate sprawls across 77 acres of pastoral tranquility, with trails snaking through the woods, oak trees towering over lawns, and birdsong filling the air.
    — Brian Cicioni, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Premier League trophy was kept out of the way, not shown off, apart from the blazing cover picture in the souvenir programme which ensured queues snaking through the crowd to purchase this special memento.
    — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of snaking
Verb
  • An ancient Nazi scientist (Dan Stevens) crawling across a carpet to lick a woman’s stilettoed foot.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Classicist and Roman plumbing expert Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow suggests that private toilets might have been cut off from the municipal sewers to prevent animals crawling up the pipes and into homes.
    — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of crawling
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.

Browse Nearby Words

bellyfuls
bellying
bellying up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bellying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellying. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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