as in coming up
to come near or nearer
belly up to the buffet table and help yourselves
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bellying up
Once called ''the funniest woman on TV,'' Catherine O'Hara spends much of her time these days bellying up against a snooker table at the Squeeze Club, a Toronto juice bar and pool hall.
—
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Across the river, Le Crocodile at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn brings a stylish, approachable scene for bellying up and indulging in sexy French cuisine.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Swashbucklers, scoundrels, bandits and buccaneers will soon be bellying up to the bar inside a lively new pirate pub at Walt Disney World that’s already booked solid for the first two months and promises to be a must-have reservation for visitors.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Across the river, Le Crocodile at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn brings a stylish, approachable scene for bellying up and indulging in sexy French cuisine.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Swashbucklers, scoundrels, bandits and buccaneers will soon be bellying up to the bar inside a lively new pirate pub at Walt Disney World that’s already booked solid for the first two months and promises to be a must-have reservation for visitors.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellying up
Verb
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CollegeHumor was part of a generation of online video pioneers—coming up well before YouTube and before short-form and streaming video became the lingua franca of the internet.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
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The 38-year-old Frenchman scored a hat trick in his debut in February, and his new club then won the King’s Cup, a Saudi knockout tournament, before coming up just shy of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the league championship race.—
Brett Knight,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Directed by Aella Jordan-Edge, with Emslie and Arpita Ashok producing, the film stars Jodie Whittaker and Evie Jones, who also wrote the script, drawing on her experience of becoming a disabled adult.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 May 2026
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As the United Kingdom works to make online spaces safer for children through age verification methods, kids are finding creative ways to skirt the rules, including drawing on facial hair to dupe facial recognition systems.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
10 May 2026
Verb
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While a forward who is rapidly closing in on 1,000 career goals is no doubt used to a big score—Ronaldo now matches Michael Jordan with his six stints atop the athlete earnings ranking and is surpassed only by Tiger Woods, who has led the list 11 times—his latest haul is historic.—
Brett Knight,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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News round-up Inter Miami are closing in on another marquee signing.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Verb
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Additionally, California has the highest median rent in the nation, with asking rents approaching $2,900 statewide, according to Zillow data.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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With the season’s first Subway Series rapidly approaching, the Yankees’ offense hasn’t exactly been chugging along.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Dulgeroff estimated that closing the La Jolla Rec Center would result in a budget reduction of $231,975.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Hernandez will compete in the Southern Section finals on Saturday with the goal of closing her high school athletics career at the end of the month at the state track and field championships in Clovis.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Levain Bakery, known for its cookies, is coming soon to the center, as is contemporary fashion brand Varley.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
22 May 2026
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In Seoul, President Lee Jae Myung is grappling with a split-screen few saw coming.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bellying up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellying%20up. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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