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
  • In several looks, the hips protruded impressively outward, but the silhouette appeared more subtle and somewhat suitable for everyday wear in the label’s delicate camisole tops.
    — Kelly Niesen, Glamour, 24 July 2026
  • The skinny braids wrapped the bottom of the bun, while the thicker braids dressed the top, forming a cylinder shape that protruded from the crown of her head.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 29 June 2026
Definition of protruded
Verb
  • To compile as comprehensive a list as possible, Szydlowski crawled Instagram and Reddit for photos of people wearing different types of smart glasses.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
  • As the whole team fought for their lives, Yerman, one of the only Marines with relatively minor wounds, crawled over to Capers.
    — Ethan Rocke, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of crawled
Verb
  • Over the past few years, a steady increase has been reported of workers getting poked by needles in the trash.
    — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Benson later had a pass poked out by Texans corner Tremon Smith.
    — Sam Warren, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of poked
Verb
  • Politics has crept into Florida classrooms under the DeSantis administration, and public school teachers are particularly vulnerable.
    — Jessica Meszaros, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • By halftime, baldness crept between the hashmarks, especially on Highmark Stadium’s south end (to the right if sitting behind the Bills bench).
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of crept
Verb
  • 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
  • That ball found the head of Jude Bellingham, whose diving header bulged the net and opened the scoring.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of bulged
Verb
  • On Friday, the S & P 500 snapped a three-week advance , while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite slid roughly 2% on the week.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
  • During those periods, revenue slid as tax-paying workers lost jobs, and assistance payments jumped.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of slid
Verb
  • At the Meijer gas station in Highland, several lines snaked through the parking lot and onto the main road on Wednesday.
    — Sara Machi, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Here, too, there were echoes of Keegan’s blissful early days, when queues snaked outside the stadium hours before kick-off and every victory felt like alchemy.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of snaked
Verb
  • 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
  • Laura stepped right into her body, felt a small resistance and then the give as the rival slithered, eagerly, into the air.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of slithered

Browse Nearby Words

bellicosity
bellied
bellied up
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Cite this Entry

“Bellied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellied. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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