bulged

verb

past tense of bulge
1
as in protruded
to extend outward beyond a usual point the sides of the returning camper's suitcase bulged with a month's worth of dirty laundry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in burst
to be copiously supplied this guidebook to San Francisco positively bulges with useful information

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 bulged 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 Her stomach bulged beneath her I ❤ FLORIDA boatneck and her face was round and waxy-pale. — Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026 The Apple engineers’ eyes bulged in astonishment. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026 Angelenos’ eyes bulged at the $1,500-a-head price tag. — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Mar. 2026 Taking new measurements, the researchers saw that as fluid gushed between cells, creating indentations in their cell membranes, bubbles mostly bulged into weaker cells. — Clare Watson, Quanta Magazine, 27 Feb. 2026 The surrounding metropolitan area has similarly bulged. — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026 Even pre-Covid, his pockets bulged with hand sanitizer. — Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bulged
  1. protruded
  2. burst
  3. poked
  4. buzzed
  5. brimmed
  6. hummed
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
  • The Briton burst onto the scene last season, and already has 19 professional wins — his Vuelta debut has been much anticipated as Visma search for Van Aert’s long-term replacement.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Pritzker celebrated the groundbreaking of several new data centers in Illinois before AI significantly burst onto the scene, including the opening of Meta’s data center in DeKalb in November 2023.
    — Ben Szalinski, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of burst
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
  • Solitary bees buzzed through the purple flowers of the California aster.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In the now-notorious moment, Rock, 61, made a joke directed at Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s buzzed haircut.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of buzzed
Verb
  • Sitting with her children in a carriage during the parade and later appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the princess wore nodded to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana's 1987 Easter outfit in a pale blue ensemble and wide-brimmed hat by Catherine Walker.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 15 June 2026
  • Conversations between the two often brimmed with lessons on life, which Honda carries close to heart.
    — Julius Miller Follow, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Definition of brimmed
Verb
  • The bleachers were packed, and for the first time all day the air hummed with genuine enthusiasm.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • As the tattoo machine hummed across her leg, Savanna Georges watched another chapter of her faith take shape in ink.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of hummed

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Cite this Entry

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

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